Union
Rick Scott has this time won the hearts of state teachers union after announcing his discontent with the “marshal” program that sets to arm teachers and school staff in a bid to avoid a repeat of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting. The program is supported by both Trump and the National Rifle Association (NRA). The Governor is for reviewing the age limit to which an individual can own a firearm.
The Florida high school shooting that happened two weeks ago has caused an uproar in the country calling on lawmakers to amend the gun control laws making them stricter or face not being elected. The situation has forced legislators to concentrate on the subject hence sidelining it from other important businesses such as immigration. Demonstrations in different parts of the country have heightened the focus on gun law reforms putting the legislature on track to deliver the Florida Governor a gun bill before the March 9 deadline.
Features about Rick Scott’s Tenure as Governor
Scott has been Florida’s Governor since 2010, most of which he has been accenting to every NRA bill without a doubt. His standing with the NRA has commonly put the state teachers union against the governor making them his long-term adversary. But this time, teacher’s union is happy with Scott for proposing a gun-control measure that requires that the minimum age for gun purchase be raised from 18 to 21. If the requirement was in place before the Florida high school shooting two weeks ago, it would have stopped Nikolas Cruz aged 18 from purchasing the rifle he used in the mass shooting.
The recent shooting is not the first tragedy under Scott’s tenure. Another mass shooting happened under his watch in 2016 when a rogue shooter opened fire in Orlando at Pulse nightclub. The two incidents could be the reasons why Scott moved to back a proposal that upsets the NRA.
Allison Tant, the former Florida Democratic Party Chair stated that Rick Scott is attempting to make people forget the position he has taken on guns for the last eight years. She stated that the governor has always supported pro-gun laws especially those backed by the NRA. She added that Scott has done so little following the two mass shootings in Florida.
Speculation to the Governor’s Decision
Rick Scott in previous sessions has stated that he will announce whether he will run for the Senate at the end of his session. Therefore, his choice to propose the bill on age limits could be in the wake of making an announcement to run. His bid to support the bill earns him more support from a group of voters he has never enjoyed. If Scott runs for Senate, the state teachers union makes him a formidable candidate against the more potent challenger Senator Bill Nelson.
