Florida governor signs gun restrictions 3 weeks after attack
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a far-reaching school-safety bill Friday that places new restrictions on guns in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting, cementing his state’s break with the National Rifle Association. The NRA immediately fought back with a lawsuit.
The new law capped an extraordinary three weeks of lobbying that followed the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, with student survivors and grieving families working to persuade a Republican-run state government that had shunned gun control measures.
Surrounded by family members of the 17 people killed in the Valentine’s Day shooting, the GOP governor said the bill balances “our individual rights with need for public safety.”
“It’s an example to the entire country that government can and has moved fast,” said Scott, whose state has been ruled for 20 years by gun-friendly Republican lawmakers.