Senator: Shooting shows need to repeal gun free zones
Sen. Greg Steube is sponsoring a bill to allow guns in most public places -- including airport terminals and schools
The chair of the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee said Friday’s shooting and killings at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International airport make the case for his efforts to eliminate gun-free zones.
Sen Greg Steube, R-Sarasota, is the sponsor of SB 140 which would eliminate most gun-free zones in Florida. The proposal allows concealed weapons permit holders to openly carry handguns in most public places, including airport passenger terminals.
“My first thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” Steube said Friday night. “But this goes back to the fact why I’ve been working against gun free zones for the past three years.”
In that time, Steube noted Florida has experienced shootings at Florida State University, the Pulse nightclub and now a South Florida airport.
“Gun-free zones don’t prevent criminals from breaking the law and killing innocent victims,” said Steube. “All that law did was prevent law-abiding citizens who have a concealed-carry permit from carrying their firearm in defense of themselves and others.”
State records indicate Florida has issued 1.67 million concealed-weapons licenses. Steube’s measure would allow permit holders to carry guns on university campuses, into elementary and secondary schools and while attending legislative meetings.
It has drawn opposition from all of the state university system presidents, police chiefs and faculty unions and numerous associations.
In his state of the university address last year, Florida State University President John Thrasher promised his faculty to continue his fight against guns on campus. As a state senator in 2014, Thrasher helped killed a bill repealing universities’ gun-free status.
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Groups such Florida Students for Concealed Carry and 2nd Amendment advocates are supporting Steube’s measure.
Rebekah Hargrove of the FSU chapter said the group is optimistic with Steube’s election to the Senate and his appointment as Judiciary chair that this is the year Florida will further loosen its gun laws.
The Senate Judiciary Committee was scheduled to take up SB 140 Tuesday but the meeting was canceled before Friday’s shooting. Steube said he expects to schedule the bill for a hearing when the committee meets Jan. 26.
Reporter James Call can be reached at call@tallahassee.com. Follow on Twitter @CallTallahassee