Parents of slain Parkland teens share emotional words with lawmakers

House committee approves new gun legislation after school shooting

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida's governor said Tuesday that he's determined to make the Parkland school shooting the last the state ever experiences.

Gov. Rick Scott met with Miami-Dade County officials to outline a plan to pass a school safety bill before the state's annual legislative session ends next Friday.

Scott says he wants to spend $500 million to increase law enforcement and mental health counselors at schools, to make buildings more secure with metal detectors and to create an anonymous tip line.

UNCUT: Gov. Rick Scott highlights his $500 million school safety plan for Florida

Family members of slain students spoke during the news conference and during a legislative hearing Tuesday in Tallahassee.

The father of a girl who was shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14 urged people not to allow the contentious gun debate to stall other efforts.

"Let's not get mired down in that debate," said Ryan Petty, father of Alaina Petty. "There will be time for that. Right now, we secure our schools. Next, we figure out what went wrong."

Also Tuesday, a Florida House committee approved the bill that would raise the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21 and create a three-day waiting period for all gun purchases. The bill would also create a program that allows teachers who receive law enforcement training and are deputized by the local sheriff's office to carry concealed weapons in the classroom if also approved by the school district.

The 23-6 vote Tuesday followed more than four hours of emotional discussion, including from parents of some of the 17 killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day.

Marion Hammer, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association and Unified Sportsmen of Florida, told the House Appropriations Committee that she supports hardening schools and keeping guns out of the hands of the mentally ill, but couldn't support the bill because of the new restrictions on gun ownership.

After the meeting, she said the restrictions wouldn't have stopped the Parkland shootings.

"There are laws in place that if they had been followed, that shooter could have been stopped so many times it makes your head spin. So passing more laws dealing with guns as a solution to a problem that exists within the enforcement of laws is just kind of silly," Hammer said.

The 23-6 committee vote Tuesday came after more than four hours of emotional discussion, including input from parents of some of the 17 killed at Stoneman Douglas.

Linda Beigel Schulman, mother of 35-year-old geography teacher Scott Beigel, who died in the shooting, spoke about the need to raise the minimum age to buy a rifle to 21, as well as banning assault-style rifles and putting limits on the size of ammunition magazines. She spoke against the idea of arming teachers.

"If you can't legally buy a beer in Florida, why should you be able to legally obtain a weapon of war that can kill people? If you are not mature to consume alcohol, why would you then be mature enough to handle a firearm?" Schulman said.

Andrew Pollack's daughter, 18-year-old Meadow, was killed in the massacre. After quietly staring into space for hours as lawmakers debated school safety, the emotions flowed when his turn came.

“Just like we’re sitting here, no one’s worried someone’s coming through that door with a gun," Pollack said. "But our children are going to go to school and worry that someone is going to walk down a hallway and shoot them? Something’s not right.”

The father and grandfather of 14-year-old victim Alex Schachter also spoke.

“We need each one of you to step aside from politics and reach inside as parents and grandparents and work together to make a difference," Max Schachter said.

Democratic Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a former Parkland vice mayor, said he didn't like the bill but still voted for it. He explained: "It doesn't go far enough, and now it goes too far in other areas. But the NRA opposes it, and I will not vote with the NRA."

Unlike Monday, when hundreds of sometimes rowdy protesters jammed a Senate meeting to consider a similar bill, Tuesday's proceedings were more orderly. Several people spoke in favor of the assault weapons ban, including Parkland resident Amber Hersh.

"Our children lost a friend. Our friend lost a daughter. This is your opportunity. The world is watching," she told the committee.

An amendment to ban assault weapons was rejected on an 18-11 vote.

The Senate's version of the school safety bill was approved by a second committee on a 13-7 vote Tuesday evening. Sen. Bill Galvano, who is designated to become the next Senate president and is ushering through the bill, said the earliest it will be considered by the full Senate is Friday.

There were a mix of Democrats and Republicans who didn't support the bill. Democrats objected to the idea of arming teachers and Republicans opposed new restrictions on gun sales and ownership.

Arming teachers

That idea is part of the Florida Sheriff’s Marshal Program, which would allow teachers who are trained by law enforcement to carry a gun in their classrooms.

It’s modeled after a program in Polk County led by Sheriff Grady Judd.

“This is a force multiplier to protect children," Judd said.

Under the bill the committee approved, school districts can decide if they want to participate or not.

But dozens of Parkland residents, teachers and parents made it clear that they believe arming teachers is not the solution.

Patricia Kodish was substitute teaching at Stoneman Douglas High the day of the shooting.

“This will be a terrible detriment to some students' actual mental well-being, knowing that their teachers actually have guns," Kodish said.

The House expanded the program, making it a requirement for sheriff’s offices to offer the training program, even if the school district doesn’t opt in.

Sen. Kevin Rader, who represents Parkland, said the amendment will make it even more difficult for Democrats to give their support to the bill.

“Teachers need to learn how to teach. Law enforcement needs to protect us," Rader said.

Rep. Jose Oliva said the program provides a ready force in the event a school district chooses to join the program at a later date.

“The amount of time that it would take to train up those who volunteer to go into the program would be significant, and therefore this is really just a measure of preparedness," Oliva said.

The bill also requires schools to have one school resource officer for every 1,000 students. Sponsors said the marshal program allows for an extra line of defense.