ABOVE: State House Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith listens to survivors of the Pulse shooting at a Central Florida roundtable on gun control in Orlando March 3. Photo by Jeremy Williams
ORLANDO | Florida House Democrats Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Rep. Amy Mercado held a roundtable March 3 in Orlando with survivors and families of victims of the Pulse tragedy, along with parents, students, teachers and advocates to discuss current gun safety proposals introduced by the Florida legislature.
“Many of you are impacted by gun violence because you survived the horrific shooting at Pulse. Many of you are implicated by this legislation that the Florida Legislature is considering because you are students, teachers or parents,” Smith said in his opening remarks to the guests. “Today is about lifting all of your voices right now so that we as lawmakers can take the feedback to Tallahassee.”
The roundtable, which consisted of a dozen people, was organized to discuss legislation going before the Florida House and Senate (House Bill 7101 and Senate Bill 7026) which address the issue of gun safety in schools. Both bills are controversial with Democrats and some Republicans because of their inclusion of a school marshal program that would allow some school staff members to carry a firearm.
SB 7026, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, passed the state Senate by a narrow margin of 20-18 March 5. Along with the school marshal program, the bill also raises the age to buy a firearm from 18 to 21, requires a mandatory three-day waiting period on the purchase of all firearms and bans bump stocks.
Similar gun restrictions appear in HB 7101 along with the school marshal program.
Smith polled the table asking about a full assault weapons ban as well as whether they supported the school marshal program in the bill. Everyone at the table raised their hand to support an assault weapons ban and to ask for the removal of the school marshal program from the bill.
“I believe that guns have no place in our schools,” said Wendy Doromal, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Union. “Teachers don’t want to be armed with guns. We want to be armed with schools that have enough social workers and counselors. We want to be armed with small class sizes so that we can get to know our students and get to know if we have a student with a mental health issue so we can help them.”
“It’s ridiculous to expect a teacher to carry a gun and it’s reckless,” said one University High School student. “One of my teachers has told us he is already looking for another job because he is not comfortable knowing one of his fellow teachers is armed.”
The school marshal program has also been opposed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott who does not think arming teachers is the right approach to ending school shootings; however, he will most likely still sign a bill that included it.
The Florida House has not voted on HB 7101 but is expected to do so this week. The Florida legislative session ends March 9.
