TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)- Florida governor Rick Scott made a major announcement on Friday regarding school safety.
This announcement comes ten days after the Valentines day massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school.
Governor Scott spoke today about a detailed plan that would ensure student safety at school, saying that he would work aggressively with the legislature over the next two weeks to get it done.
"My message to them has been very simple, you are not alone. Change is coming and it will come fast," said Scott.
This plan of his was broken down into three parts, gun laws, school safety, and mental health.
When it comes to guns, the Florida governor wants to create a program called the "Violent Threat Restraining Order," which would prohibit a violent or mentally ill person from buying or possessing a firearm. Evidence would need to be submitted to the court followed by a speedy due process.
If an individual is under the Baker Act, they would have to surrender all firearms until a court hearing 60 days later. Only then can the individual ask for restored access to guns.
One local gun shop owner has tried to get a mental health background check for a customer, but has run into problems with the current system.
"I've had costumers come in here that I know have been Baker Acted," explains Mark Raines, the owner of Masters of Gun and Rod. "I called the sheriff's department. They said, 'Mark, we can't tell you whether or not they can buy a gun or whether or not they've been Baker Acted because HIPAA prohibits us from releasing that information. Right now, you run a mental health check, who are they going to be able to tell, because they can't disclose that information."
In addition, Governor Scott is trying to raise the age to purchase any firearm to 21. There would be exceptions to the new ruling, including active duty, reserve military, law enforcement, and National Guard.
This proposed change may help reduce the number of assault rifles sold, but Raines doesn't think that's enough.
"I have no problem with that on assault rifles. Sooner or later, one of them is going to figure out the only way to deal with assault rifles is to put them on the National Firearms Act," says Raines. "They can't outlaw them. they can't ban them. It won't work. There are too many loop holes. You put them on the National Firearms Act, everybody gets a thorough background check. There's a tax stamp issued every time it changes hands. They track them."
Governor Scott is also looking into completely banning the purchase or sale of bump stocks. Those are attachments that allow semiautomatic rifles to fire faster.
