Even as Florida lawmakers postponed a vote on whether to allow guns on colleges and universities and private elementary and secondary schools, Gov. Rick Scott told reporters on Tuesday he is in favor of the bill (SB 234), that would allow weapons to be carried on school campuses. Scott cited the Second Amendment in the U.S. Constitution saying, “”I believe it’s a fundamental right and I will defend the right to bear arms.”
On Tuesday, lawmakers heard tearful testimony from Robert Cowie, a Jacksonville resident whose daughter Ashley was killed in January in an accidental shooting at Florida State University. Cowie said, putting guns in an area where drugs and alcohol are commonly used is particularly dangerous, and makes campuses more dangerous.
Ashley Cowie, 20, was at a campus party when a gun held by another student accidentally discharged, sending a bullet directly through her chest. Her father traveled to Tallahassee Tuesday to lobby against the bill, sponsored by Sen. Greg Evers, R-Baker.
“This is not a second amendment, right-to-bear arms issue,” Cowie said.
Currently, the law says people with concealed weapon permits can carry guns, but includes a list of places where carrying those guns isn’t allowed, including school campuses.
Several states around the country have considered letting college students and university staff carry guns. The idea was prominent following high profile shootings at Virginia Tech University in 2007 and Northern Illinois University in 2008. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 23 states allow individual colleges and universities to enact policies related to carrying guns on campus, while 24 states, including Florida, ban carrying a concealed weapon on campus.
Backers have said in the wake of a number of school shootings that if some law abiding student had been armed, they may have been able to shoot back.
A Florida Board of Governors spokeswoman said via e-mail that the police department chiefs in the 11-member state university system are opposed to lifting the ban in Florida.
“This issue clearly affects the core responsibility of respective university police departments, as each one works diligently to maintain campus security and safety around the clock,” said board spokeswoman Kelly Layman.
The News Service of Florida
