TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a far-reaching school-safety bill Friday that places new restrictions on guns in the aftermath of a deadly school shooting, cementing his state’s break with the National Rifle Association, which promptly responded with a lawsuit seeking to block a provision of it.
Surrounded by family members of the 17 people killed in the shooting just over three weeks ago, the GOP governor said the bill balances “our individual rights with need for public safety.”
“It’s an example to the entire country that government can and has moved fast,” said Scott, whose state has been ruled for 20 years by gun-friendly Republican lawmakers.
Tony Montalto, whose daughter Gina was killed in the shooting, read a statement from victims’ families: “When it comes to preventing future acts of horrific school violence, this is the beginning of the journey. We have paid a terrible price for this progress.”
The bill fell short of achieving the ban on assault-style weapons sought by survivors. The gunman who opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School used such a weapon, an AR-15 rifle.