FL GOP fast tracking do nothing feel good bill through Legislature to appear pro gun
Posted: Thu Mar 28, 2019 10:12 am
Florida Republicans are once again playing the Dog & Pony Show in front of gun owners. Currently, SB 7030 (2019) is being fast tracked and rushed through committee. What exactly is SB 7030? Well, the Florida Senate states the following;
So why am I saying that SB 7030 is a feel good do nothing bill? Because under SB 7026, certain non-teaching school staff was allowed to carry on school grounds if two conditions were met. One, the staff went through a 132 hour firearms course sponsored by the County Sheriff's Office. Two, if the School Board voted to allow such from happening in the first place.
Well, the majority of Florida's School Boards voted to not allow their staff to not carry on their grounds and instead went with the option to have additional School Resource Officers.
The Sun Sentinel reported the following;
The proposal (SB 7030) would expand the state’s Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program created in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
Named for an assistant football coach killed in the massacre, the program allows non-instructional employees to carry guns if they undergo training and pass a psychological evaluation.
Last year, state lawmakers opted not to include most classroom teachers on the list of school employees authorized to carry weapons.
State Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said the Parkland shooter could have been stopped if a teacher had a gun.
“They were just sitting ducks — with no chance,†he said.
The bill’s sponsor — state Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah — said districts will decide whether teachers should carry guns. School systems also have the option of stationing a law enforcement officer at each school, a costlier option.
Well Sen. Hooper, I have some news for you my good man.
There are a total of 67 School Boards in Florida and less than 30% of them allow any staff to carry on campus. The majority of them that went with the Guardian Program are rural, under populated, and under funded. They can't afford to have a dedicated School Resource Officer on duty because the Sheriff's Offices in those counties themselves are underfunded and understaffed.
The major urban ones like Miami Dade or Leon would never allow such to happen. In fact Miami Dade School Board has their own Police Department and in Leon County, the School Board contracts out the School Resource Officer duties to City of Tallahassee Police Department and Leon County Sheriff's Office.
The Republican Supermajority controlled legislature could have instead fast tracked HB 175 (2019) or HB 6073 (2019). Two bills that would have gutted the anti-gun provisions of SB 7026. But instead they are allowing those bills to languish and die in committee since House Speaker Jose Oliva is Anti-Gun.
Hell, they could actually just pass Campus Carry or even throw Florida gun owners a bone with Permitted Open Carry. But such will not happen either since the Senate President is Bill Galvano. The man who authored SB 7026 in the first place.
Alas, it appears the once formerly know "Gunshine State" is still slipping behind others in the race to expand freedom.
In plain English, it throws money at the schools to harden up their security, places the schools under some oversight, and in appearance removes the restrictions that currently ban teachers from carrying on school grounds. Restrictions put in place by another Republican authored bill, SB 7026 (2018). The bill that gave Floridians the state level bump stock ban, Under 21 Gun Purchase Restriction, and Red Flag Laws.GENERAL BILL by Education
School Safety and Security; Requiring a sheriff to establish a school guardian program under a certain condition; requiring school districts to promote a mobile suspicious activity reporting tool through specified mediums; requiring the Commissioner of Education to review recommendations from the School Hardening and Harm Mitigation Workgroup; revising the duties of the commissioner to include oversight of compliance with the safety and security requirements of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act by specified persons and entities, etc.
So why am I saying that SB 7030 is a feel good do nothing bill? Because under SB 7026, certain non-teaching school staff was allowed to carry on school grounds if two conditions were met. One, the staff went through a 132 hour firearms course sponsored by the County Sheriff's Office. Two, if the School Board voted to allow such from happening in the first place.
Well, the majority of Florida's School Boards voted to not allow their staff to not carry on their grounds and instead went with the option to have additional School Resource Officers.
The Sun Sentinel reported the following;
The proposal (SB 7030) would expand the state’s Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program created in the wake of the Parkland shooting.
Named for an assistant football coach killed in the massacre, the program allows non-instructional employees to carry guns if they undergo training and pass a psychological evaluation.
Last year, state lawmakers opted not to include most classroom teachers on the list of school employees authorized to carry weapons.
State Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Clearwater, said the Parkland shooter could have been stopped if a teacher had a gun.
“They were just sitting ducks — with no chance,†he said.
The bill’s sponsor — state Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Hialeah — said districts will decide whether teachers should carry guns. School systems also have the option of stationing a law enforcement officer at each school, a costlier option.
Well Sen. Hooper, I have some news for you my good man.
There are a total of 67 School Boards in Florida and less than 30% of them allow any staff to carry on campus. The majority of them that went with the Guardian Program are rural, under populated, and under funded. They can't afford to have a dedicated School Resource Officer on duty because the Sheriff's Offices in those counties themselves are underfunded and understaffed.
The major urban ones like Miami Dade or Leon would never allow such to happen. In fact Miami Dade School Board has their own Police Department and in Leon County, the School Board contracts out the School Resource Officer duties to City of Tallahassee Police Department and Leon County Sheriff's Office.
The Republican Supermajority controlled legislature could have instead fast tracked HB 175 (2019) or HB 6073 (2019). Two bills that would have gutted the anti-gun provisions of SB 7026. But instead they are allowing those bills to languish and die in committee since House Speaker Jose Oliva is Anti-Gun.
Hell, they could actually just pass Campus Carry or even throw Florida gun owners a bone with Permitted Open Carry. But such will not happen either since the Senate President is Bill Galvano. The man who authored SB 7026 in the first place.
Alas, it appears the once formerly know "Gunshine State" is still slipping behind others in the race to expand freedom.