Florida Senate committee votes down Randy Fine’s bill to allow guns on college campuses. Here's what college students had to say.
Legislation allowing college students to carry guns on Florida campuses was voted down this week. The vote came after several college students made impassioned pleas in committee.
Brevard Republican Senator Randy Fine’s bill failed to get enough “yes” votes for his idea of allowing guns on state college and university campuses.
The measure would have okayed lawful gun owners to carry firearms into school dormitories and resident halls. It raised alarms for University of Central Florida student Muah Dahh spoke against the measure.
“You’ll be allowing students like me who cannot even possess candles, air fryers, or a Glade plug-in in our dorm, to now possess a firearm on our campus.”
Florida A&M University student Shaniya Brown telling lawmakers the measure would bring gun violence to her school.
“I’m here to oppose this bill because I find it to be dangerous. I’m terrified of losing my life on my campus due to gun violence.”
Tuesday’s decision stops the bill from moving forward. Fine, who is leaving session early to run for Florida’s 6th Congressional District seat, has another bill that if passed, would lower the state’s gun purchasing age from 21 to 18.
Florida House overrides four DeSantis budget vetos
The Florida House voted to fund four projects with a price tag over five million dollars that Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed last year.
The budget overrides included funding for a program for seniors, a water treatment plant, sanitation systems and the Department of Corrections.
Bill banning weather modification moves forward in Florida Senate
A bill seeking to ban geoengineering and weather modification in Florida is swiftly moving through the state legislature. The bill would outlaw experimental, scientific technology used to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Scientists have long experimented with ways to counteract global warming, from triggering rain showers to reflecting sunlight.
The practice has been a lightning rod for conspiracies and confusion. So Republican State Senator Ileana Garcia filed a bill to ban it altogether.
The bill would prohibit the release of any substance that could impact weather, sunlight or temperature. Violators COULD be charged with a misdemeanor and be fined up to 100,000 dollars.
Dr. Amy Clement is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Miami and vice chair for the city of Miami’s Climate Resilience advisory board.
Clement: I think as a globe grappling with the question of what do we do about fossil fuel emissions and greenhouse gasses that there is a growing recognition that some places are warming at rates that need to be avoided.
Clement said that while a young and controversial field, climate intervention may be necessary in certain cases.
Clement: The jury is pretty out on the geoengineering side of like should we be doing this because we don’t know what the unintended consequences would be.
Satellite Beach police will make immigration arrests.
The Satellite Beach City Council unanimously approved a measure that will allow its police department to make immigration-related arrests. Here’s Rick Glasby:
The decision comes amid pressure from Florida's governor and attorney general for municipalities to enforce federal immigration priorities. Some residents expressed concern, fearing the local police department could become "an arm of ICE.” Satellite Beach police say that officers will undergo training that will enable them to enforce new federal and state immigration regulations.
more: www.floridatoday.com
