Latest news with #FentriceDriskell
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
FSU students come to Capitol with asks following campus shooting
Simon Monteleone, a student at Florida State and intern for Rep. Mitch Rosenwald, speaks n April 22. 2025, during a news conference with Rep. Fentrice Driskell and other FSU students who were on campus during the April 17, 2025, campus shooting. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix) Florida State University students, joined by House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, are calling for policy change following a campus shooting within walking distance of the chambers where laws are made. A group of students gathered at the Capitol Tuesday only days after they barricaded themselves in classrooms Thursday when a shooter opened fire on campus, killing two and wounding six. 'As a leader, I carry the weight of this moment and turn it into purpose. We owe it to the victims, not just here at Florida State University, but across Florida and across our nation to make sure that this doesn't happen again,' said Andres Perez, president of the FSU chapter of Students Demand Action. The suspected gunman, step-son of a Leon County sheriff's deputy, according to law enforcement, used her retired service weapon. Leon County Sheriff Walt McNeil said it was not surprising 20-year-old Phoenix Ikner would have access to weapons. He was involved with LCSO, including training with the department and sitting on a youth board advising the sheriff. Madalyn Propst, president of FSU College Democrats, called on FSU to put locks on classroom doors, train professors to respond to shootings, and increase financial support for mental health intervention and advocacy. She said the shooting 'was both senseless and preventable.' 'Although it is not a political issue when a mass tragedy happens, it becomes political when it is enabled by poor policy,' Propst said in the Captiol rotunda. 'Because of a lack of proactive planning and poor policy on the hands of our legislators, there are two people who are dead who shouldn't be, six people in the hospital who shouldn't be, thousands of students who no longer feel safe on campus, and a community that is still reeling from a senseless act of violence, and no amount of thoughts and prayers is going to fix that.' Propst called on Congress to reinstate the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and on the Legislature to expand safe storage laws to apply to any house that someone who cannot legally handle a gun lives in. 'Shooting after shooting, we're told to wait, and all we hear are 'thoughts and prayers.' And I'm sensitive to not politicizing an issue but, year after year, we file good, common sense bills to help make our community safer and, unfortunately, they don't even get a committee hearing,' Driskell said. A Senate bill, SB 814, allowing students to carry guns on Florida campuses, lost steam earlier this session, and eyes are on the same chamber to see if it will pick up the House-approved bill, HB 759, to lower the age to buy long guns to 18. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'I'm disgusted with my Legislature and the people that I know some of my friends and my family voted for,' Propst said. 'The fact that they are able to sit in this place and prioritize weapons over my life, my friends' lives, and the lives of my community around me is deplorable.' The House bill would reverse in part a 2018 package addressing school safety passed just weeks after a gunman killed 17 people at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. A response as quick as happened in 2018 does not seem so certain this year. 'I think the only difference [between 2018 and now] is that it seems like the governor is desensitized to this. I mean, we saw the comments from President Trump, that, to me, was such a slap in the face to these students and to everyone in this community who's been impacted by this gun violence,' Driskell. Gov. Ron DeSantis released a video to X the day of the shooting and ordered flags flown at half-staff. President Donald Trump said, 'I will always protect the Second Amendment,' and, 'These things are terrible. But the gun doesn't do the shooting, the people do,' CBS News reported. According to FSU, following the shooting it offered mental health assistance to more than 1,300 students Thursday through Sunday, including 604 on the day of the shooting and 520 on Sunday. The university continues to provide services through this week. The school canceled classes on Friday and resumed classes Monday with optional attendance. The semester ends May 2. Rep. Christine Hunchofsky, mayor of Parkland during the 2018 shooting, reflected on the FSU shooting during a media availability Monday. 'If you haven't been through something like this, it's very hard to understand the level of trauma that people who have been through this are experiencing and, if that doesn't get addressed early enough, it's something that can become debilitating in the long term. And so, it's so important to make sure that everyone has what they need,' Hunchofsky said. Minutes after the shooting on Thursday, Hunchofsky presented HB 1403 to the House Education and Employment Committee, a bill that would address school safety measures. It passed unanimously. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Controversial gun bill moves through Florida legislature following deadly FSU shooting
The Brief Several state lawmakers said now is the time to rethink a controversial gun bill that's moving through the legislature. It comes as students, staff and families continue grieving the victims of Florida State University's on-campus shooting. Supporters of the new bill said last month lowering the age limit to 18 is a matter of consistency and giving people the right to defend themselves. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As Florida State University students, staff and families grieve following a deadly on-campus shooting, several state lawmakers said now is the time to rethink a controversial gun bill that's moving through the legislature. The Florida House Democratic Caucus leaders held a virtual news conference on Monday, devoting a major portion of their remarks to the shooting at FSU. RELATED: Florida State resuming classes on Monday, days after tragic shooting on campus "There isn't a community in Florida that hasn't been impacted by gun violence," said Rep. Fentrice Driskell of Hillsborough County. The backstory The comments come after a gunman opened fire on FSU's campus, killing two people and wounding six others. Days before the shooting, a bill passed through the Florida House of Representatives that would lower the minimum age to purchase rifles and other long guns from 21 to 18 years old. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Big picture view The bill would undo a bipartisan law passed after the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018 that raised the minimum age to 21. Democratic leaders believe the law has helped reduce the number of shootings. "What we don't want to do is add fuel to the fire. What we don't want to do is try to exacerbate situations like what we just saw at Florida State," Driskell said. The other side Supporters of the new bill, however, said last month lowering the age limit to 18 is a matter of consistency and giving people the right to defend themselves. "We are either an adult at 18 or we're not. It's legitimately that simple. That's the basis of this argument," said Rep. Danny Alvarez, R-Hillsborough County. MORE: Lakeland student describes suspected FSU shooter "If you are treated as an adult to defend our country and to vote in our country, we must not infringe upon your constitutional rights," added Rep. Judson Sapp, R-Putnam County. What's next A related bill in the Florida Senate was proposed and would need to pass. At the moment, however, it has not been discussed in committees. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer. It also contains previous FOX 13 News reports on the shooting at Florida State University. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida gun age proposal may be quashed following FSU shooting
Days after the deadly shooting at Florida State University, the state Senate appears poised to scuttle a proposal to allow people under the age of 21 to buy rifles and other long guns. Last month, the Florida House approved the repealing of a law that prevents 18-20-year-olds from buying guns for several weeks. Senate President Ben Albritton had been noncommittal about whether a vote on the measure would be taken in the upper chamber. That vote seems less likely after a gunman killed two people on campus and inured six others on Thursday. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, was hopeful that the Senate would not advance the bill. She says more gun control is needed now, not less. 'I'm sensitive to not politicizing this issue, but year after year, Democrats in our caucus file good, common sense gun laws. They are reforms that would help to make our communities safer. Unfortunately, the Republican majority refuses to even give them a hearing,' Driskell said. Other gun legislation that would have allowed students to carry concealed firearms on college campuses died last month after it was not approved by the Senate criminal justice committee. A House version of that bill was never heard in committee. Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Florida education bill sparks debate over funds for advanced placement programs
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Florida lawmakers battled it out on the House floor this week over a bill that could lead to significant funding cuts to education. The bill has parents, students, and advocates on edge about advanced placement programs possibly taking a hit. Lawmakers focused on the state's budget this week, and in the budget bill, they are proposing a 50% cut in extra funding, also known as add on weights, for advance courses like AP and IB programs. Advocates, however, oppose this move, saying Florida students could lose in the end. Tariffs could impact Tampa Bay shoppers, businesses by summer, economist says House Bill 5101 has faced push back from students, teachers, and Democrats at the statehouse. Their concerns center around education funding for advance placement programs. 'In Polk County, where I grew up, the school paid for our AP classes, and coming from a family of six that was on a salary of a teacher and my dad who worked at Publix, I don't know that we could have afforded those,' said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (D-Tampa). Driskell spoke in opposition of the 50% cut, saying lawmakers should pause and rethink future funding. 'Those courses allowed me to achieve my personal dream of attending Harvard University and placing out of some of those classes in my first year after coming from a public school in little humble Polk County,' Driskell said. However, Republicans behind the efforts say the bill does not cut or defund these important programs. State Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka (R-Fort Meyers) encourages students who care about this issue to continue to advocate for themselves in front of their local school boards. 'It's the school board that is deciding where those funds go and whether those funds are following you, the student, in funding these programs,' Persons-Mulicka said. The bill sponsor added that data for the past few years isn't matching up with the actual cost of these classes and this bill would allow the money to follow the students. Even with the pushback, and after over five hours of budget debate on Wednesday, the bill got the green light. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Democrats push to investigate Florida insurance companies
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — House Democrats in Tallahassee are calling on the governor to investigate Florida insurance companies that are claiming they are broke, all while transferring profits to their affiliate companies. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, sent both Governor Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Daniel Perez letters asking to further investigate the recent news of property insurance companies claiming to be in distress, while at the same time, shifting billions in profits to companies they own. Trump pauses aid to Ukraine amid clash with Zelensky 'We're pushing for that accountability, calling for an investigation, asking the Florida house to use its subpoena power. Let's put some folks under oath and let's get some questions,' Driskell said. Democrats say the letters to DeSantis and Perez were sparked by the Tampa Bay Times' recent report on a secret study. The study found insurers have sent billions of dollars to affiliate companies, or to shareholders, instead of using those profits to benefit policy holders.'We know from the stories that we hear in districts that were ravished by hurricanes, were ravaged by flooding, that people are not getting what they need from their property insurance company,' Driskell said. Driskell says the study conducted in 2022 confirms top insurance companies have been ripping off everyday Floridians and then lying to the legislature. Aside from the news, Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky points to market stability emerging here in the state 'We are truly seeing good news emerge on every front,' Yaworsky said. 'We are seeing litigation rates decrease upwards of 30% throughout the state, so the reforms are working. It does take time for consumers to truly feel all those effects and the impacts, and to a degree, we are fighting against inflation and other economic factors that we cannot avoid, but we are seeing good news.' News Channel 8 on your side reached out to both the governor and house speaker but have not heard back yet. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
