Father of Parkland school shooting victim speaks out against bill lowering gun age

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A bill that would lower the minimum age from 21 to 18 to purchase rifles and shotguns in Florida was approved Tuesday by a state House panel, but the bill has no Senate counterpart.

The bill rolls back a law created after the Parkland shooting that raised the minimum age. Republican Representative Bobby Payne is a sponsor of the current bill, despite voting for the law in 2018.

“All those interventions, all that time, this six or seven years, it made me realize that we’ve done the right thing in the state and we should join the majority of the rest of the states to bring the availability to purchase a long gun back to 18 years old.”

Tony Montalto is the father of Gina, a student killed in the Parkland shooting. He spoke during public comment.

“We’re just two weeks away from the sixth commemoration. Our current law is working. I implore each of you to remember that law is written in the blood of the Parkland victims, including my beautiful daughter Gina.”

However, while speaking against the bill, St. Petersburg Democratic Representative Michele Rayner brought up that the bill has no Senate companion.

“From my understanding, I don’t know if the bill is moving over in the Senate, so why is it here?”

Payne addressed this during closing comments.

“I don’t make my decisions on what bills I would want run based on what the Senate might be doing. I make those decisions based on what I feel is part of my fundamental belief.”

The bill advanced in the House Criminal Justice Committee. It will next be heard in the Judiciary Committee.