A trio of gun bills were voted down in a Florida Senate committee Tuesday, marking another setback for state Sen. Greg Steube in his effort to expand gun rights in Florida.
Steube, R-Sarasota, sponsored two of the bills and chaired the committee where they were heard. But he struggled to corral Republican votes for his gun proposals for the second year in a row.
A pair of South Florida Republicans who helped scuttle the bulk of Steube’s proposed gun measures last year joined to block him again this year. The action Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee decreased the likelihood of any significant gun rights proposals advancing through the GOP-controlled Legislature this year.
The gun measures voted down Tuesday included legislation allowing concealed weapons at private religious schools on church properties and a bill that would have decreased the penalty for accidently displaying a concealed weapon in public.
Those two proposals also were included in a broader bill that included some provisions opposed by gun rights groups along with language allowing concealed weapons to be carried into courthouses and left with security. That legislation also failed, leaving Steube defeated again on his signature issue, this time before Florida’s annual two-month legislative session has even begun.
“The bill in itself does nothing to address the issue of mental health, an issue that I feel as passionate as the chairman feels about gun issues,” said Sen. Rene Garcia, R-Hialeah, in voting against the catch all gun bill.
Garcia joined with Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, and four Democrats to vote against two of the gun bills, and Flores sided with the Democrats in killing the third. The two South Florida Republicans also combined to block most of Steube’s gun bills last year.
The proposal to allow guns in private religious schools advanced in the Senate last year after being modified to address concerns raised by some senators. Garcia said House Republicans rejected the Senate’s compromise bill, preferring the original version.
Gun rights lobbyist Marion Hammer argued that allowing concealed weapons at private religious schools is a property rights issue.
“We don’t view this bill as a gun bill,” she said. “It’s a private property rights bill.”
Critics pointed to the risk of accidental shootings and disagreements escalating to gun violence.
Garcia said he was concerned that the Senate sponsor, Lakeland Republican Kelli Stargel, had abandoned the compromises agreed to in the chamber last year.
“We should respect the institution and move forward with a compromise piece of legislation,” Garcia said.
Gun rights groups strongly supported the proposal to reduce penalties for accidently displaying a concealed weapon. But gun control supporters said the proposal would lead to de facto open carry of guns in Florida by making it difficult for law enforcement to punish violations.
Steube is one of the strongest supporters of gun rights in the Florida Legislature.
The proposals Steube put forward Tuesday were his top priorities for the upcoming session when it comes to gun legislation. He said he does not intend to propose any other gun bills this session, meaning the issue is likely on the backburner for 2018.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report