Senate Democrats slam bill combining school safety measures and permitless carry

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Senate Democrats criticized Senate Republican efforts to include both permitless carry and school safety measures together into one bill. 

The bill, SB 150, introduced by Republican Sen. Jay Collins, R-Tampa, would enact permitless carry, which has already been introduced in the House as well as measures to bolster school and community safety.

The legislation would require the Office of Safe Schools, which is part of the Department of Education, to develop a “behavior threat management operational process” to guide schools in identifying and handling potential and real threats.

SB 150 would create the Florida Safe Schools Canine Program, which would designate a person, school, or business entity as a “Florida Safe Schools Canine Partner” who pays for, or raises funds for, utilizing a firearm detection dog.

Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book, D-Plantation, and Sen. Tina Scott Polsky, D-Boca Raton, stated their support for “common sense” safety provisions within the bill. Polsky, however, called Republican efforts to combine the two measures “cynical.”

“They are wrapping a more guns bill in school safety and a dog safety program,” said Polsky after taking a moment of silence to commemorate those lost at the school shooting in Parkland five years ago. “And that’s how they’re going to justify it.”

Book alleged that she has spoken with family members of the Parkland school shooting who were not pleased with the bill. 

“I’ve had several conversations with some of the family members who are quite offended that, you know, they’re being looped into a gun bill,” Book said. 

Collins believes that permitless carry should be a key component of this bill.

“Here in Florida under the leadership of Governor DeSantis, the government will not get in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families,” Collins said.

Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, supported the legislation and said it “ensures our laws respect the constitutional rights of law-abiding Floridians while at the same time incorporating valuable tools recommended by law enforcement that will increase the safety of our schools and communities.”

The legislation also expands the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program, allowing private schools to establish their own programs and participate in “necessary training,” as long as the school pays for the training costs.