In a bid to revise firearm laws in Florida, Rep. Bobby Payne, R-Palatka, has once again initiated a proposal (HB 1223) to reduce the minimum age for purchasing rifles and other long guns from 21 to 18. This move comes amid renewed debate on gun control, intensified by a recent school shooting in Perry, Iowa. Payne’s proposal, mirroring a similar bill passed by the House in 2023 but stalled in the Senate, seeks to overturn a segment of the 2018 legislation enacted after the tragic Parkland shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The 2018 law, a response to the massacre where 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz killed 17 individuals using a semi-automatic rifle, raised the minimum age for buying rifles to 21. It has faced challenges from the National Rifle Association, asserting a violation of Second Amendment rights. Though a federal district judge upheld the age restriction, the issue is still pending at the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Governor Ron DeSantis, echoing Payne’s stance, emphasizes state and local solutions to gun violence, opposing new federal firearm restrictions. Payne argues the bill rectifies a mistake made in 2018, maintaining it preserves other aspects of the law related to mental health and school safety. He contends that focusing on guns is misguided, advocating instead for policy interventions.
However, Democrats like Rep. Christine Hunschofsky, Parkland’s mayor during the shooting, staunchly oppose the bill. Hunschofsky highlights the 2018 law’s effectiveness in preventing further school shootings in Florida, terming it a “gold standard” for school safety. The Democrats’ perspective is bolstered by a recent Fox News poll, revealing that 81% of Americans favor raising the legal age to buy guns to 21.
The bill’s future remains uncertain, lacking a Senate counterpart and facing opposition from Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples. Critics, including Democrats and gun control advocates, argue that reducing the minimum age undermines the comprehensive safety measures established post-Parkland. They caution against breaking promises made to the victims’ families and compromising public safety, underscoring the need for a balanced approach to gun rights and community safety.
