A Florida Senate panel on Tuesday voted down a bill that would have allowed concealed weapons on college and university campuses, halting the legislation in its initial committee review.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee rejected the measure (SB 814) in a 4-3 vote. Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia voted against the bill alongside all three Democrats on the panel, while two Republican members, Sens. Jennifer Bradley and Corey Simon, were not present for the vote. Support came from Republican Sens. Joe Gruters, Clay Yarborough and Jonathan Martin.
Filed by Sen. Randy Fine, the bill sought to amend existing state law governing firearms on educational property and establish new security provisions for university sporting events. Te measure would have modified state law, which prohibits the possession of firearms at school-sponsored events and on school property, including K-12 institutions, school buses, and designated bus stops.
Under the proposed changes, individuals would have remained prohibited from storing firearms on these premises but would no longer be barred from carrying them on college and university grounds. Exceptions would remain for law enforcement officers and individuals authorized to carry a concealed weapon under state law.
“The Second Amendment does not take the semester off when you step on a college campus,” said Fine said about the bill in February. “Adults should have the right to protect themselves on campus, particularly after so many universities across America chose to protect Muslim terror advocates over their own students. There is no magic force field that keeps criminals from carrying a gun onto campus; this bill will ensure that students have the same rights on campus as they do off.”
The proposal’s failure follows the earlier withdrawal of its House counterpart and comes ahead of Fine’s resignation from the Senate, effective March 31.
0 Comments