Florida House panel OKs partial repeal of Parkland shooting-inspired gun control measure

A Florida House committee Tuesday voted to repeal part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, paving the way for teenagers to buy rifles like the one used to kill 17 students and teachers six years ago in Parkland, Broward County.

The proposal (HB 1223) by Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, aligns state law with federal regulations. It cleared the Criminal Justice Committee on a 11-5 party line vote, with GOP lawmakers in support. It has one more committee before it can be heard on the House floor; there is no Senate companion bill.

Payne told fellow lawmakers Florida is one of just seven states to set a minimum age of 21 to purchase a long gun, defined as a firearm with a barrel long enough to require two hands to use. Restoration of that right for teens was the right thing to do, he added.

“... Restoring the rights of young adults to purchase a long gun is very important in my rural area. We do a lot of bird hunting,” Payne said.

The explanation left the ranking Democrat on the committee flabbergasted. Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, said she understood people feel passionate about gun rights. But she noted the Parkland gunman also was a teen.

She referred to him as “a child whose brain was not fully developed, obtaining a gun and committing a complete massacre,” she said. “This doesn’t make sense. It is not in the best interest of public safety.”

Opponents like 19-year-old Jayden D’Onofrio, from Deerfield Beach, called Payne's proposal reckless and dangerous.

“Consider the facts: 18- to 20-year-olds are three times more likely to commit gun homicides,” said D’Onofrio, who was in a middle school classroom 15 minutes away from Stoneman Douglas when the mass shooting occurred.

The age limit was included in an omnibus gun control package that also included background checks and waiting periods approved by the Legislature. That was after a 19-year-old with an assault rifle massacred students and staff on Valentines’ Day in 2018. Then-Gov. Rick Scott signed the reforms into law three weeks after the shooting.

Gun rights advocates have tried to scale back the reforms ever since. A federal appeals court in March rejected a National Rifle Association challenge to the age requirement.

Scott, running for reelection to the U.S. Senate, told reporters Tuesday in Tallahassee he still supports the age limit.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has not yet weighed in on Payne’s proposal this year, but last year after it died in the Senate Rules Committee, he appeared to indicate he would support repeal of the age limit.

“You send people out (to war) when they’re 18. They can vote when they’re 18,” said DeSantis, as he prepared to launch a presidential campaign.

Parkland parents said they supported DeSantis when he was first elected because he committed to defending the Stoneman Douglas law. On Tuesday, they called on him to stop the bill in its tracks.

Fred Guttenberg, who lost his 14-year-old daughter in the shooting, reminded DeSantis of his previous support for the state law.

“Ron, now is your time to speak out. Why the silence? Stand up for us and defend this. Don't be weak,” he tweeted Tuesday morning. A request for comment was still pending with the governor’s press office as of Tuesday night.

Attorney General Ashley Moody's office went on record Tuesday in support of the repeal. And groups like the Smart Justice Alliance, Gun Owners of America, and a half dozen citizens also spoke in favor of it.

Chris Smith owns the Gulf Coast Guns store in Milton. He told lawmakers he sells long guns to people for personal protection, which is guaranteed by the Second Amendment.

More Parkland parents: Parkland parents urge lawmakers to support compromise gun bill

Previous coverage: Scott and House, Senate leaders announce gun safety reforms in wake of Parkland killings

“There’s no other constitutional right that we have raised to 21,” Smith told lawmakers. “The fact that we don’t allow 18-year-olds to have their constitutional right, yet we allow them to vote in our elections, is kind of absurd.”

But Gun Owners for Safety, Moms Demand Action, the Florida PTA and the League of Women Voters of Florida argued the rights to bear arms must be balanced with the need for public safety.

Juliana Tripodi, a 17-year-old Tallahassee high school student, said she should not be scared of going to school because she could be shot by a classmate.

“Lawmakers should be focused on advancing a gun safety agenda that would keep us safe, starting by keeping these crucial policies in place,” Tripodi said. Payne explained he’s carried the bill for two sessions because of a fundamental belief in the protection of constitutional rights.

Tony Montalto, like Guttenberg, also lost his daughter in the Parkland shooting. He pleaded with lawmakers to reject the proposal because the reforms have proven effective.

“I implore each of you to remember that law is written in the blood of the Parkland victims, including my beautiful daughter Gina,” Montalto said.

James Call is a member of the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida Capital Bureau. He can be reached at jcall@tallahassee.com. Follow him on X: @CallTallahassee.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: House panel votes to repeal gun ban that applies to teens, rifles