Wednesday marks six years since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 dead and dozens wounded. Spectrum News examines a proposed bill that would lower the age required to purchase a rifle or long gun from 21 to 18.
Civilian police review boards are also on the chopping block in Tallahassee, as state lawmakers consider a ban on the groups. And another bill under consideration in the Legislature would roll back local heat protections for workers and ban municipalities from requiring contractors pay a local minimum wage.
Parkland survivors and victims’ families discuss Florida gun regulations
Six years ago Wednesday, 17 people — a mixture of students and staff from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School — were gunned down by a teen assailant.
More than a dozen others were injured on Feb. 14, 2018, and emotionally the state was grievously wounded.
However, in the midst of tragedy, children became advocates for change, and survivors and victims’ families demanded state lawmakers enact stricter gun regulations to protect the lives of children.
“We were formed by the families who had a loved one taken from us that terrible February day six years ago,” said We Stand With Parkland president Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was just a freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas when she was killed. “Our families realized that the status quo wasn’t working, so we banded together.”
By doing so, he said the Parkland mass shooting became a catalyst for change — sparking marches across the country that prompted lawmakers to reexamine gun regulations.
Some that were enacted in the wake of the Parkland shooting included red flag laws, legislation to make school campuses more secure and raising the age to buy purchase a rifle or other long gun from 18 to 21.
Recent legislation (House Bill 1223), however, would reverse the move and drop the legal age to purchase a rifle or long gun back to 18.
Opponents of the proposed legislation say loosening gun regulations would be a step backward for Florida.
“When we talk about the safety of our children and teachers at school, it’s a public safety issue,” Montalto said. “It’s not a personal rights issue. It’s not a constitutional rights issue. We believe in responsible firearms ownership.”
Montalto said he believes that responsible gun ownership comes with a background check, age restrictions to purchase a gun and requirements to secure firearms safely.
“We define that as a place where a child will not have access to it, and where it’s not likely to be stolen,” he said.
According to the bills’ sponsor, Republican state Rep. Tylor Sirois of Brevard County, if an 18-year-old is recognized as being an adult — which includes the ability to serve in the military and vote — lowering the age to purchase a rifle or long gun to 18 is an appropriate step.
Police review board ban
Florida lawmakers are considering a bill banning civilian police review boards created by local governments, with supporters of the move arguing that such committees are divisive and undermine internal police investigations.
Senate Bill 576 is in the Florida Senate, while the House version of the bill (House Bill 601) has already gone through several panels.
There are currently at least 21 citizen review boards in Florida. The cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg have some of the oldest police oversight committees in the state.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, says that these police review boards undermine the investigative work of internal affairs.
“In my opinion, when you’re going through an investigation, I.A. are the smartest people in the room when it comes to this, along with the state’s attorney’s office. So why are we having these boards that become that are basically political appointees reviewing and second-guessing some of the information is brought forward,” Ingoglia said.
Pinellas County District 7 Commissioner Rene Flowers has stated that St. Petersburg’s board allows citizens to voice their concerns if they believe they have been treated unfairly or had a negative experience with the police.
“I feel the continuation of the board is another check process. I think it’s worth keeping so we can have local control,” Flowers said.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch believes that there are other pressing issues that need the attention of legislators, such as the lack of affordable housing, increased insurance costs, and flooding.
If the bills are passed, any civilian oversight board currently in practice would be barred from meeting after the bill’s July 1 effective date.
Local minimum wage rules for contractors
For contractors, big changes are in the works in Tallahassee. House Bill 433 has been submitted and would ban local municipalities from requiring contractors to pay wages higher than the state minimum wage.
Proponents of the bill, like state Rep. Tiffany Esposito, say the bill protects taxpayers and local businesses.
“This bill preempts labor and wage to the state,” she said. “It will be up to the private employer of how much they choose to pay their employees based on market conditions.”
Opponents of the move, though, call it a corporate giveaway.
“We’re not allowing local governments to make the best decisions for their people,” Rep. Michele Rayner said. “We’re not allowing the people of those local governments, or cities or municipalities, to weigh in and say, ‘This is exactly what we need.’”
HB 433 would also roll back heat protections for workers, which was a scary idea for Laura Munoz, who lost her father in 2014 to a workplace accident.
“Imagine being told that your safety and your rights as a worker are being sacrificed at the alter or corporate profits,” she said. “That’s what HB 433 represents, a betrayal of our people.”
State Rep. Rick Roth, who runs a farm in South Florida, argued that it wasn’t a local government’s place to place additional safety requirements on businesses.
“I guarantee you, we do everything to do the best for our employees,” he said of his farm. “And this insinuation that we need more help from local government regulating heat exposure problems is insulting.”
The proposed bill has to get through one more committee before it can be considered on the floor of the Florida House.
