In the wake of the Parkland tragedy, gun safety advocates and Floridians are speaking out against Rick Scott’s long record of opposing gun common sense gun safety measures. Groups like the Giffords organization, Equality Florida and Florida leaders are highlighting Scott’s refusal to support basic gun violence prevention policies, how he broke the promises he made following the Pulse shooting, and why Floridians can’t trust him to look out for anyone but himself.
Here are the facts: Scott “signed a bill that barred doctors from asking patients whether they had access to guns;” “did not propose new gun laws or seek significant mental health funding increases after the Pulse nightclub massacre;” slashed millions in funding for school safety; ended $20 million in funding for mental health care despite Florida already ranking at the bottom of the nation for mental health funding; has “long resisted gun control efforts” including refusing to support expanded background checks and a ban on assault weapons; and under Scott Florida has “some of weakest gun laws in nation.”
And here’s what they’re saying:
From Congresswoman Gifford’s Gun Safety Organization:
Statement from Peter Ambler, Giffords Executive Director:
“It’s astounding that, even after 17 children and teachers lay dead in a high school in Florida, Governor Rick Scott refuses to support the most basic, common sense, gun violence prevention policies. Under his watch, Florida has experienced at least three mass shootings in just two years. After each one, the governor stood before the media to offer his thoughts and prayers, all the while rejecting the solutions that might have prevented the tragedies. Governor Scott is, yet again, offering vague platitudes to distract from reality: gun violence is preventable, and he has repeatedly declined to support the policies that would save lives.”
Statement from Isabelle James, Giffords Political Director:
“One might think that Rick Scott’s well-known ambition to represent Florida in the United States Senate would motivate him to join the overwhelming majority of his constituents and support policies like universal background checks. Instead, he continues to embrace the gun lobby, earning an A+ rating from the NRA and continually refusing to act in the aftermath of tragedies. Voters are growing increasingly frustrated with their elected officials, and Rick Scott’s record of failing Floridians on safety won’t be forgotten when they head to the polls in November.”
From Equality Florida Senior Political Director Joe Saunders:
“We believe fundamentally that the tragic loss of life from attacks like those at Pulse and the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are the direct result of leadership in our state and the choices they make. The record is clear. Elected leaders like Governor Rick Scott have clearly chosen to side against the vast majority of Floridians who favor common sense gun safety laws and with gun interests who believe that weapons of war should be available to everyone, anywhere, all the time.”
“After 49 lives were taken in the single greatest attack on the LGBTQ community in American history, an attack executed with the same style of firearm as was used at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School this week, Governor Rick Scott made two clear promises: 1) That he would take steps within his administration to make clear anti-LGBTQ discriminationand bias was wrong and 2) to do everything possible to ensure an attack like the one at Pulse nightclub would never happened again. Both of these promises were unequivocally broken.”
“Election year politics, pivots, and spin machines can’t rewrite history. We share this with you in memory of those we lost because leaders in Tallahassee have refused to act and in the hopes that in the wake of yet another senseless tragedy voters in this state will finally realize that we are not helpless. We need leaders who will stand against gun interests and with the vast majority of us who believe in common sense gun laws.”
From FL Representative Carlos Smith:
From Former Orlando Police Chief and Congresswoman Val Demings:
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