Posted on 04/05/2002 8:23:28 PM PST by ConservativeLawyer
Legislature: Lawmakers change school code to allow guns locked in cars
Thursday, April 4, 2002
By JACKIE HALLIFAX, Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE — Legislators refused Wednesday to outlaw students from keeping guns locked in cars on school property — but it was close.
By a 19-19 vote, the state Senate defeated a proposal that would have prohibited school boards from allowing students to bring guns to school if the firearms were locked in their cars.
The proposal was an amendment to the massive school code rewrite bill lawmakers are working on in a four-day special session.
Earlier Wednesday, the House Council on Lifelong Learning defeated a similar amendment 12-6.
Under current state law, school districts must have "zero tolerance" policies against crime, drugs and guns. Students who violate the code are expelled for a year.
But Florida's gun statute gives school boards the power to make exceptions to zero-tolerance policies for guns locked in cars on school property or for things like hunting safety classes or rifle clubs.
And changes made earlier this year to federal education law require the exemption, officials said.
No school board has included the exemption in its zero-tolerance policy, but Sen. Betty Holzendorf introduced the amendment to erase that possibility.
"What happens when ... a student with a firearm locked in their car gets angry on the last day of school and sprays bullets everywhere?" the Jacksonville Democrat asked.
Sen. Jim Sebesta, R-St. Petersburg, asked for an example of "where a firearm in a locked car would be a good thing."
But Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, said the exemption was in the state's gun law and the issue shouldn't be treated differently in the school code.
Lawmakers defending the exemption in the House included Rep. Jerry Melvin and Heather Fiorentino.
"It's one thing to have zero tolerance," said Fiorentino, R-New Port Richey. "It's another to have zero common sense."
Melvin, R-Fort Walton Beach, said school boards need to have the responsibility for making such decisions. He said he didn't think removing the exception would make any difference.
"Nothing would stop any student from running home, getting a gun and shooting somebody," he said.
Best regards,
Thanks!
While I appreciate your concern, I do not think it is sufficient enough reason to not proceed with this legislation.
Our opponents will scream and moan no matter what we do, so we might as well do what is right. To do otherwise allows the left to win the war, without having to win any of the battles along the way.
To accept the way the left frames the argument defies logic (and I'm NOT accusing you of this--I'm merely venting). What deranged individual, bent on committing mass murder, worries whether or not its legal to bring the gun onto school grounds in the trunk of his car?
Besides, its a double-edged sword: What if there is another school shooting that is stopped or, better yet, prevented by someone who had a firearm in their car (as happened at least once in the past)? One would think that would advance the 2nd Amendment cause.
As would the thwarting of a terrorist attack by an armed civillian.
Naperville Sportsman's Club (Illinois) meets on Thursday nights (6pm-"10pm") and Sunday afternoons (noon-"6pm") and is open to the public. Although it was closed for a bit over a year recently because some nearby property owner sued to shut it down over bogus environmental concerns, it has been in operation for decades without a single medically-reportable injury.
On which planet do these ER-visit increases occur?
I met Alex at the Coconut Grove gun show in Miami not too long ago. Good guy.
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