Despite heavy opposition, senators move to expand gun rights relating to schools and churches

Gun violence, gun-free school zones, gun rights, churchgoers’ rights and property rights fueled a hot debate Tuesday evening in a Florida Senate committee deciding whether to allow concealed weapons to be carried on property where schools and churches overlap.

The measure is supported by gun-rights advocates including NRA lobbyist Marion Hammer, who want churchgoers to be free to carry concealed firearms at worship events, regardless whether a school is nearby.

The Florida PTA, League of Women Voters of Florida, Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops, and other groups adamantly oppose the plan and want schools to remain gun-free zones.

Sen. Jason Pizzo, a Miami-Dade Democrat, spoke passionately against the bill when it came before the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, which he chairs.

Read more: https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2021/03/09/despite-heavy-opposition-senators-move-to-expand-gun-rights-relating-to-schools-and-churches/