The Florida Legislature is considering rolling back the 2018 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act of 2018. Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) spoke with The Floridian about the effort, saying it "got it right" on strengthening school safety measures while maintaining gun rights.
Rep. Moskowitz, who sponsored the 2018 legislative measure, described how he viewed school safety and shootings through two lenses: the gun violence side and the safety measures implemented by the schools.
"I think we proved in Florida that you can pass meaningful gun violence legislation while also respecting the Second Amendment," Rep. Moskowitz said, pointing out how "the failures we saw in Parkland were the same failures we saw in Uvalde. And this was all supposed to have changed ever since Columbine, and we have not changed," calling for a national strategy and reassessment similar in vein to the massive changes in airport security after 9/11.
"We have not responded on a national level to the same thing of school safety, but Florida is a leader in school safety. Not a leader, the leader," Moskowitz continued.
To reiterate, the original Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act implemented "red flag" measures for mentally disturbed individuals (with measures for the designated individual to get confiscated weapons back), raised the legal firearm purchasing age to 21 (with exceptions), and implemented a three-day waiting period for firearm purchases (with exceptions), among other provisions.
Moskowitz further pointed out that the bill has not been challenged in six years and has seen consistent Republican support.
More to the point, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), who signed the bill into law as Governor, recently stated, "I support what we passed," and did not indicate he supported rolling back the age provision.
"They got it right. Give the Republicans credit," said Moskowitz, "For all of the things I disagree with them on, they got the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas School Safety bill right. We had a delicate balance. How do we keep our kids safe? How do we protect Second Amendment rights? They got it right. Leave it alone. It is working."
Finally, while the Florida Congressman acknowledged no law will stop all crime or gun violence, he implored Florida Republicans "to take a win" and not roll back the bill "just because you are trying to gain some favor in a primary."
