After shootings, Galvano says more gun safety legislation needed in Florida

Florida President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, penned a letter to his Florida Senate colleagues on Monday, both praising state legislators for their work on gun safety bills while saying lawmakers need to do more in the wake of mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

The attacks, Galvano said, “must stop, and that begins with condemning the hate that perpetuates these evil attacks.”

Galvano said Florida lawmakers have made a lot of progress compared to their national counterparts on gun safety. Those measures, adopted after the shootings in February 2018 at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, include efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill, expanding background checks, raising the age for purchase and banning devices that would turn a legal firearm into an illegal one.

Florida lawmakers have also worked toward improving school safety, Galvano said by working to enhance communication and reporting of threats, expanding resources for mental health services in schools and improving school hardening requirements.

However, Galvano said, “Unfortunately, the evil acts of violence over the weekend are an all-to-present reminder that we have more work to do.”

The Florida Senate will resume committee meetings next month and Galvano said he wants a focus from the Senate on reviewing and better understanding the various factors involved in mass shootings, to include the dynamics behind school shootings.

“This includes white nationalism, which appears to be a factor not only with regard to these recent mass shootings, but also with other acts of violence we have seen across the country in recent years,” Galvano said.

Galvano said he will ask the chairman of the committee on infrastructure and security to lead the effort once committee meetings begin in a few weeks.

“Such a review will help us determine what further actions can be taken at the state level that will build on the legislation we passed in 2018 and 2019,” Galvano said.

“The Florida Senate will work even harder to ensure the safety of those we serve. Thoughts and prayers must continue to yield action.”