Latest news with #MarjoryStonemanDouglasSchoolSafetyAct
CBS News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Parkland parents condemn Florida bill lowering gun purchase age
The father of a Parkland school shooting victim is speaking out after Florida's House passed a bill to lower the minimum age for purchasing a firearm from 21 to 18. Manny Oliver, whose son Joaquin was one of 17 people killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, unveiled a mural in Washington, D.C., urging lawmakers to strengthen, not weaken, gun laws. "It's a mile away from the White House and a couple of blocks away from the state capitol and it's a permanent graphic that will remind our politicians, legislators and people in general that we need to change," Oliver said. Oliver named the mural We Demand Change, calling for a ban on assault weapons and other gun restrictions he believes could have saved his son's life. "A ban on assault weapons would be nice. If we had that, Joaquin would be alive. Raising the age would be nice. If we had that, Joaquin would be alive," he said. Following the Parkland shooting, Florida lawmakers passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act, which raised the minimum gun purchase age from 18 to 21. But the new bill, passed by the Florida House, would reverse that decision, something Oliver strongly opposes. "It's not a good idea, my friend. It's not a good idea having 18-year-olds purchasing guns—not able to purchase a beer, not able to do many things," he said. Gov. Ron DeSantis has signaled support for lowering the minimum age, referencing the issue in his recent State of the State address. "I would ask you to protect people's Second Amendment rights. Look back in instances where legislation may have been passed in recent years, such as shifting the burden in red flag laws, such as taking away the rights of young adults to be able to purchase firearms," DeSantis said. CBS News Miami reached out to Senate Majority Leader Jim Boyd and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who signed the original 2018 bill into law as governor. Boyd's office said he was unavailable for comment, while Scott's office did not respond. According to Everytown Research and Policy, Florida is one of only eight states that currently have a minimum gun purchase age of 21. Oliver hopes his mural will serve as a lasting message to lawmakers. "You see how politicians could write down a bill and then they'll destroy it seven years later," he said.
CBS News
03-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Florida lawmakers revisit gun laws, Parkland families push back
As the new legislative session begins Tuesday, Florida lawmakers are once again taking up gun laws, sparking opposition from families of the 17 victims killed in the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. A newly introduced bill would lower the minimum age to purchase a gun from 21 to 18, reversing a measure passed in response to the Parkland shooting. Debbie Hixon, whose husband Chris was killed that day, opposes any rollback of the law. "That law has really saved a lot of lives across the state," Hixon said. Tony Montalto, whose 14-year-old daughter Gina Rose Montalto was among the victims, also opposes the measure. Debate over guns on college campuses Another bill under consideration would allow firearms on college and university campuses. Montalto believes that only well-trained security personnel should carry weapons in those settings. "Well-selected and well-trained should be the ones with weapons on campus," Montalto said. "I don't feel that our students are in such jeopardy that they need to carry as well." FIU sophomore Vinh Le also expressed concerns. "If everybody has a gun, then it might cause shootings," Le said. Lawmakers and leadership weigh in State Sen. Randy Fine, who introduced the Senate versions of both bills, defended the proposals. His office referred to past press releases, in which he stated: "The Second Amendment does not take the semester off when you step on a college campus." Regarding lowering the gun purchasing age, Fine argued the current law is inconsistent. "After the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act passed in 2018, I committed to addressing the inconsistency that allows an 18-year-old to be given a firearm by a parent or purchase one in a private transaction but not from a licensed firearms dealer," he said. Gov. Ron DeSantis has also voiced support for open carry in Florida. Hixon, Montalto, and other Parkland families plan to travel to Tallahassee to speak with lawmakers in an effort to prevent changes to existing gun laws.
