Page 3 - ARUBA TODAY

A3
U.S. NEWS Wednesday 21 February 2018

Florida survivors, lawmakers on collision course over guns

of the party still have strong signed to propose mea- make up huge voting blocs
resistance to any gun-con- sures for protecting schools in some parts of the state,
trol measures. from gun violence. especially the Panhandle.
Republican leaders in the Lawmakers will probably Wilson said he knows the
House and Senate say they say that getting a new bill students "want something
will consider raising age re- passed is nearly impossible to happen," and they need
strictions for gun purchases with only two and a half "a moment to come and
and temporarily revoking weeks left in the legislative make their case."
someone's guns if that per- session. But, he said, "the thought
son is deemed a threat to Some lawmakers who are that you get to wave a
others. As part of the flurry thinking of running on a wand and change the law
of activity in Tallahassee, statewide ticket are mind- is something that is prob-
the governor on Tuesday ful of their sensitive posi- ably going to collide with
also convened groups as- tions, since gun owners reality."q

Tom Carmo, father of survivor Ethan Rocha, hugs student Joey
Cordova, as students from Stoneman Douglas High School
board buses in Parkland, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018. The stu-
dents plan to hold a rally Wednesday in hopes that it will put
pressure on the state's Republican-controlled Legislature to
consider a sweeping package of gun-control laws, something
some GOP lawmakers said Monday they would consider.
(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Continued from Front discussion has to be a lon-
Meanwhile at the State- ger, bigger and broader
house, a Democratic rep- discussion."
resentative asked for a pro- Alfonso Calderon, a
cedural move that would 16-year-old junior, said
have allowed the Repub- he hoped the trip starts a
lican-controlled House to conversation between the
consider a ban on large- Legislature, Gov. Rick Scott
capacity magazines and and the students over com-
assault rifles such as the AR- monsense laws on guns.
15 that was wielded by the "America is a gun society.
suspect, Nickolas Cruz. That is what made (sus-
The bill had been assigned pect) Nikolas Cruz seem
to three committees but normal. It is not normal for
was not scheduled for a someone to have a stock-
hearing. The House quickly pile of weapons in their
nixed the Democratic mo- room when they are men-
tion. The vote broke down tally ill," Calderon said.
along party lines, and Re- The students planned to
publicans criticized Demo- hold a rally Wednesday to
crats for forcing the vote. put pressure on the Legisla-
Because the committees ture.
will not meet again before "I really think they are going
the legislative session ends to hear us out," said Chris
March 9, the move essen- Grady, a 19-year-old senior
tially extinguishes hope who was on the bus.
that lawmakers would vote The Feb. 14 attack initially
on any sweeping measures appeared to overcome
to restrict assault rifles, al- the resistance of some in
though other proposals the state's political leader-
could still be considered. ship, which has rebuffed
"No one in the world with gun restrictions since Re-
the slightest little hint of publicans took control of
a soul isn't moved by this both the governor's office
tragedy," Republican strat- and the Legislature in 1999.
egist Rick Wilson said. "The However, many members