Florida Senate Advances HB 757, Doubling Down on ‘Guns on Campus’ Legislation Despite Public Outcry

HB 757 Now Returns to House for Concurrence on Senate's Amendment Before Heading to the Governor's Desk

TALLAHASSEE, F.L. - The Florida chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety's grassroots network, issued the following statements today after the Florida Senate voted to pass HB 757, a dangerous piece of legislation that effectively ends gun-free zones at public colleges and universities. The bill expands the Guardian Program to allow faculty and staff to act as armed guards on campuses, ignoring months of vocal opposition from students, parents, faculty, and community members who warned that more guns will only lead to more tragedy. After the House accepts the Senate's amendment, the bill will move to the Governor to be signed into law.

"We came to college to get an education and to build a future, not to worry about whether our professors are carrying weapons in our seminars," said Ari Dolgin, an Everytown Survivor Fellow and student at Florida State University (FSU) with Students Demand Action. "Arming professors, librarians, and janitors is not the solution to the school shooting epidemic, and by ignoring the overwhelming opposition from students and faculty this legislation claims to protect - less than a year after we experienced gun violence on this very campus - lawmakers are treating our lives like a political experiment. It is a coward's move to pretend this is about 'safety' when the very people in the line of fire are begging you to stop."

"Florida lawmakers have once again abandoned their responsibility to keep our children safe," said Jennifer Massey, a volunteer with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action. "Instead of listening to mothers who are tired of living in fear for their children's lives, they have chosen to turn our universities into the 'Wild West.' You don't stop a fire by adding more fuel, and you don't protect students by turning their lecture halls into warzones. Our leaders have traded the peace of mind of every Florida parent for their own political interests."

Despite a tragic shooting at Florida State University last April, lawmakers chose to ignore the pleas of students and faculty, instead advancing an agenda that effectively ends gun-free zones in higher education. This move further endangers a generation already traumatized by gun violence by putting firearms directly in their classrooms, libraries, dining halls and campus.

Research shows there is no evidence that arming teachers and staff deters gun violence or reduces the lethality of shootings when they occur. Furthermore, the Guardian program requires far less training than law enforcement-144 hours compared to 770. Expecting personnel with such limited training to perform law enforcement duties is dangerous and unrealistic.

By ignoring the risks and the opposition from students, faculty, and academic institutions across the country, Florida lawmakers have once again prioritized a political agenda over the demonstrated safety and well-being of the academic community.

In an average year, 3,172 people die by guns in Florida. With a rate of 13.7 deaths per 100,000 people, Florida has the 34th-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. Guns are the second leading cause of death among children and teens in Florida. Gun violence costs the state $40.3 billion each year, of which $875.9 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Florida is available here.