Coalition of Moms, Students, Educators, Law Enforcement, and Other Floridians Defeats Six Dangerous Bills That Would Have Allowed Guns in K-12 Schools, Forced Guns onto College Campuses
Everytown, Florida Moms Demand Action Celebrate Victorious Campaign to Defeat Bills Through Calls and Emails to Legislators, Rallies, and Television Ads
Tallahassee, FL — The Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today released the following statement celebrating their defeat of six separate NRA-backed bills that would have allowed guns in Florida K-12 schools and forced guns onto college campuses:
“The voices of moms, students, educators, campus police, and thousands of Floridians have been heard this year, and the message was loud and clear: keep guns out of our schools and off our college campuses,” said Chryl Anderson, volunteer Chapter Leader with the Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “We are thankful that lawmakers listened to the more than 155,000 Everytown supporters in our state, and stood up to the NRA’s dangerous agenda. Floridians will be safer as a result.”
Over the last several months, Everytown and the Florida Chapter of Moms Demand Action have driven an aggressive and successful campaign to defeat these six bills. The group launched a television ad in March titled “Backpacks, Not Bullets” that highlighted remarks by National Rifle Association Executive Director Wayne LaPierre at the 1999 NRA convention, in which he said, “We believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America’s schools, period.”
The group also mounted a significant grassroots effort to make the voices of thousands of Floridians heard by driving more than 1,500 calls and more than 7,600 emails into Florida lawmakers urging them to reject the legislation. Also, at the Capitol in March, the group organized a rally to drop off 12,000 postcards with the simple message “backpacks and bullets don’t mix.” The rally brought together a coalition of gun violence survivors, law enforcement, educators, students, the League of Women Voters, and the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus.
Most recently, Everytown and Florida Moms Demand Action released polling that showed 61 percent of Floridians oppose the NRA’s misguided efforts.
Today Florida became the seventh state this year to reject guns on campus legislation—joining Arkansas, Georgia, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming—and the sixth state to reject legislation that would allow guns in schools—joining Arkansas, Colorado, North Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Here are the six defeated bills:
- HB 4005: Would force public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus
- SB 176: Would force public colleges and universities to allow concealed handguns on campus
- HB 19: Would let some concealed weapons licensees carry concealed guns on school property, including K-12 schools
- SB 180: Would let some concealed weapons licensees carry concealed guns on school property, including K-12 schools
- HB 251: Would change Florida law to decriminalize carrying a firearm, either concealed or openly, in a school safety zone, as long as the person surrenders the firearm at the earliest opportunity.
- SB 754: Would change Florida law to decriminalize carrying a firearm, either concealed or openly, in a school safety zone, as long as the person surrenders the firearm at the earliest opportunity.
About Everytown for Gun Safety
Everytown is the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million supporters and more than 40,000 donors including moms, mayors, survivors, and everyday Americans who are fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and help save lives. At the core of Everytown are Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a grassroots movement of American mothers founded the day after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Learn more at www.everytown.org and follow us @Everytown
About Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America is a grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action campaigns for new and stronger solutions to lax gun laws and loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our children and families. Since its inception after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2.5 million members and more than 40,000 donors. For more information or to get involved visit www.momsdemandaction.org. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MomsDemandAction or on Twitter at @MomsDemand