ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida lawmakers are considering several measures that would roll back gun control legislation lawmakers passed back in 2018 after the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in South Florida. One of those bills is advancing in the Florida legislative session.
House Bill 1223 passed the Criminal Justice Committee and is headed to the Judicial Committee. If passed into law, it would reduce the age someone can purchase a rifle or other long gun from 21 to 18. Florida lawmakers raised the age to 21 as part of measures passed right after the Parkland shooting.
Several University of Central Florida students are involved with organizations opposing the proposed measures.
Logan Rubenstein is now a sophomore at UCF, but he still vividly remembers the shooting in Parkland that left 17 people dead. He was in 8th grade at the middle school that sits right next to the high school.
“We were also in lockdown, and just going through the whole experience — it really made me see that no one should have to go through what Parkland went through,” Rubenstein said.
Rubenstein went on to attend Parkland in the fall of 2018, and ever since the shooting, he has supported gun violence prevention efforts. He’s now involved with several organizations fighting what Florida lawmakers have proposed.
“It is disgusting to see the Florida legislature want to take proposals that strip and repeal parts of that bill that save lives and that work,” Rubenstein said.
Last year, Spectrum News spoke to supporters of the changes as it gained traction during the 2023 legislative session, but ultimately failed. They say it comes down to what the age of 18 is recognized as.
“Being 18, it’s recognized as being an adult, a citizen serving in our military, serving in society, voting — I felt very strongly that was the appropriate take,” Republican State Rep. Tyler Sirois said.
A Florida gunsmith, Marcelo Rafaniello, who works at Ted’s Firearms in Clearwater, agreed.
“If you can send an 18-year-old to go fight a war — fighting for freedom for us, why not allow them to buy,” he said.
Lawmakers are not proposing removing the red flag law that allows law enforcement to remove firearms from someone who they determine could harm themselves or someone else. But there is a House and Senate bill aimed at removing the three-day waiting period to buy a gun.
The age change hasn’t gotten support from Florida senators in the past, and there’s not a senate sponsor for that bill yet this session.
“We’re working really heavily and lobbying and talking to allies in the senate to make sure that bill doesn’t get a sponsor, and if and when it does, we’re ready to send opposition to it and defeat that bill in the senate,” Rubenstein said.
Florida Senator Rick Scott, who was governor when public safety measures were passed after Parkland, says he supports those measures passed. But he also appears to be open to lawmakers revisiting them.
“Florida schools are clearly safer than around the country, but look, the legislature has the opportunity to change bills every year,” Scott said.
With a republican supermajority in the Florida legislature, Rubenstein knows it’s an uphill fight, but he says it’s one that’s worth it to save lives by fighting the proposed legislation.
“Frankly, it’s dangerous, it puts law enforcement in danger, it gets more dangerous actors with firearms out on the streets,” Rubenstein said.
Spectrum News 13 checked with Orange County Sheriff John Mina, who has spoken out against a reduction of the age limit to buy long guns before. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office sent a video of a recent interview where Sheriff Mina once again says he’s “totally against” such a measure, calling it “irresponsible.”