Shortly after we discussed President Trump's proposal to raise the age limit from some gun purchases, Florida Gov. Rick Scott proposed raising the age limit to 21 for most gun purchases in his state.
The devil, as usual, is in the details, as the proposal is part of a comprehensive package of reforms.
...Scott proposed a $500 million spending package to address school safety and mental health. He said he does not support arming teachers, proposing training school guards instead.
It would require a three-day waiting period for purchases of all types of firearms.
There’s also language authorizing police to impose a three-day suspension of gun rights for anyone who was involuntarily committed for psychiatric evaluation under the state Baker Act and plans to increase in-school mental health resources. Under Florida's Baker Act, people can be involuntarily committed for 72 hours if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
Another provision calls for a ban on bump stocks, which allow weapons to rapidly spray bullets.
The bill's price tag comes to $400 million, which includes $263 million for school safety improvements and $102 million for mental health services. Those safety improvements include better security equipment, training and 1,500 new school resource officers. There's also money for the Florida Department of Education to monitor social media for threats.
Another issue brought up during the workshop that was included in the House plan is a statewide commission that would investigate system failures that led up to previous mass shootings. The panel would then make recommendations for system improvements.
I don't see anything in this plan that would create enough opposition to derail it. According to the calls on my show, many listeners are willing to consider an increase in the age to make some purchases because young people don't seem to have the same sense of responsibility as an era when kids used to take guns to class for shooting lessons.