In the first sign that last week’s Florida high school shooting hasn’t changed the gun control debate yet, the state’s legislature Tuesday overwhelming voted against a plan to ban assault weapons.
With students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in the gallery, the Florida House voted 36-71 against a motion to take up a ban on assault weapons such as the AR-15 rifle allegedly used by Nikolas Cruz to kill 17 people at the school.
Stoneman Douglas students react to Florida House voting down motion to hear assault weapons ban bill https://t.co/Un9FmD9NsG pic.twitter.com/LP3oR3RSZb
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) February 20, 2018
It also would have addressed high capacity rifle magazines, those beyond the standard 10-bullet magazines that typically come with the gun, the most popular in America.
The vote came as President Trump was announcing his plan to speed up a ban on so-called “bump stocks” than can turn semi-automatic AR-styled rifles into automatic weapons.
Florida is considered ground zero for the gun debate and the vote was a surprise to gun control advocates. It could, however, still come up in a future vote.
Katie Pavlich – BREAKING: President Trump Officially Supports a Bump Stock Ban https://t.co/Dvd9lWZUkH
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) February 20, 2018
Several news reports out of Florida noted the presence of students from the site of the massacre.
The legislation had been stuck in committees and those panels won’t meet again until the legislative session ends early next month, according to the AP.
The reports said that GOP leaders will consider an age limit for gun purchases and could join other states that take guns from those seen as a threat.
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
