Rep. Geraldine Thompson on Monday urged Central Floridians to make their voices heard at the Governor’s Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection meeting on Tuesday, June 12 at Northland Church, 530 Dog Track Road in Longwood.
The 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. meeting will have an hour break scheduled at noon and will be opened to public comments after 1 p.m. Speakers will appear on a first come, first served basis. , so arrive early for a chance to speak on this very important issue.
Thompson, who earlier condemned the composition of the Task Force because it is stacked with supporters of the “Stand Your Ground law,” had this to say Monday:
“Every legislator on the Task Force who was appointed by the Governor voted for the law in 2005. The task force included Task Force Chair, Lt. Governor Jennifer Carroll, who cosponsored the bill and Senator Gary Siplin who voted for the measure in 2005. Former roommates Rep. Dennis Baxley and Sen. David Simmons authored the bill and have expressed continued strong support for it. Rep. Jason Brodeur authored legislation that would have prohibited doctors from asking their patients if they have guns in their homes.
Can we really trust these individuals to be objective, fair and impartial in reviewing the “Stand Your Ground Law” and to divorce themselves from the positions and votes they took in 2005? The Trayvon Martin tragedy has highlighted serious flaws in the law and the need for reform. We need fair and impartial people to speak up about the law. Your voice matters. The meeting will be opened for public comments after 1:00 p.m.”
The Florida Channel will stream the meeting online at http://thefloridachannel.org.
