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Students protest at the Florida state capitol building in the wake of the school shooting which left 17 dead. Mark Wilson via Getty

Florida passes bill to restrict guns and arm some teachers

Last month’s mass shooting at a Florida school took 17 lives.

THE US STATE of Florida, scene of America’s latest school shooting, passed a bill that raises the minimum age to buy firearms to 21 while funding a programme that allows some teachers and school employees to be armed.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which takes its name from last month’s mass shooting in which 17 people including 14 students were killed, passed the legislature’s lower house a day after clearing the senate.

It will now be sent to Governor Rick Scott to sign.

The Republican has not indicated whether he would veto the law, but he has previously expressed opposition to US President Donald Trump’s call to arm teachers.

America’s long moribund gun control debate was revived by survivors of the Parkland shooting, who a day after their school was attacked launched the “Never Again” movement demanding legislative action.

The bill raises the minimum age to purchase all firearms from 18 to 21, a move opposed by the powerful National Rifle Association lobby group, bans modification devices that make a semi-automatic weapon fully automatic, and increases mental health funding.

It also includes a voluntary guardian programme named after Coach Aaron Feis who was killed in the Parkland attack, which is intended to “aid in the prevention or abatement of active assailant incidents on school premises” by allowing some school employees to be armed.

The initiative is mainly aimed at staff such as coaches and school personnel, with teachers eligible if they have military or law enforcement experience.

Bringing more guns into school has been a controversial idea, but lawmakers defended the bill.

‘Poison pill’

“I understand the angst about the guardian programme but I can’t help but think about the coaches who literally ran in as shields to protect their students … while guys with guns were standing outside,” said Republican member Chris Latvala.

“If there are school personnel that want to go to the training to help shield the students and protect them, they should have the opportunity,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Democrat legislators said the guardian initiative was a “poison pill” in a law otherwise taking necessary steps towards gun control.

“I’m taking and swallowing that poison pill. As much as I don’t want to, I can’t look in the mirror and leave here and think ‘I did nothing to help’,” said Representative Joseph Geller.

African-American representatives also expressed fears that arming black school employees could leave them vulnerable to being mistaken for attackers by police arriving on the scene of a mass shooting.

Florida has seen three mass shootings in under two years, 49 were killed at an Orlando nightclub in 2016, five at Fort Lauderdale’s international airport in 2017, and now 17 in Parkland.

The bill does not ban the sale of the AR-15 assault rifle, the weapon used by Nikolas Cruz – one of activists’ key demands.

Meanwhile, parents of American children killed in gun violence implored Congress to seize the moment and enact far-reaching gun reform, as the momentum for taking action stalls in politically divided Washington.

With no lawmakers from the controlling Republican Party present, a group of Senate Democrats held a makeshift hearing in the US Capitol to hear testimony from grieving relatives, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, teachers and police officers demanding change to the nation’s laws.

“How many more children are going to need to be slaughtered?” 17-year-old David Hogg asked the senators.

© – AFP 2018

Read: Trump steps up trade threats as economic advisor Gary Cohn resigns in protest

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    Mute CC
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:20 PM

    Who cares? Serves him right

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:50 PM

    @CC: Should he really have had to resign over this though. Workplace affairs happen everywhere so should they all resign or be sacked

    161
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: National security, he has access to sensitive information and as they say, loose lips sink ships. If he was under the influence of alcohol he could have spilled the beans on various issues that are meant to remain confidential. He did the right thing by resigning so quickly which is the only redeeming factor in his favour.

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    Mute bmul
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: it wasn’t the affair is was breaking covid rules when lecturing others

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    Mute CC
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:58 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: yes

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    Mute Shaun Gallagher
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:19 PM

    @bmul: Fair enough.

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    Mute Joe Johnson
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:28 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: It was the kiss of death. And it’s what the Brexiteer deserved for his pompous attitude to serve.

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    Mute Breda Kelly
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:32 PM

    @Shaun Gallagher: A lot more involved than this.

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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:12 PM

    @bmul: Somewhat like “Golfgate” but not quite as bad as it was only one politician.

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:06 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: Yeah, golfgate was like a stomp down the red carpet flipping the bird with both hands at each side. F u, peasants. This was a fumble in the closet, perfect story for the red top rags over there though.

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    Mute doniekel
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:21 PM

    @Joe Johnson: he is a remainer funny enough

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    Mute Mickety Dee
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:58 PM

    @CC: Surely it’s a way bigger story that someone has access to cctv footage of the offices of senior members of the UK cabinet.

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    Mute saoirse janneau
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:20 PM

    @Mickety Dee: exactly.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:30 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: we have a fu(King bar in the Dáil. Not disagreeing with you by the way it’s just always amusing to point that out

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    Mute Dave Allman
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    Jun 28th 2021, 11:52 AM

    @Frank Cauldhame: I do agree with you but using the same logic he should resign for having a wife. He’s more likely to get drunk with her and tell her secrets! Or he used to be

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    Mute Ger
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:56 PM

    Dominic Cummings hiding in the ceiling with his iPhone

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    Mute Mr T
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:57 PM

    Feel awfully sorry for HandCock’s wife and kids and for Coladangelo’s husband and kids. Having this stuff go public and their names in the press is difficult & stressful.

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    Mute Daniel Bohan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:30 PM

    It’s obviously morally repugnant, and contrary to all Covid guidance. But angles suggest there was a camera installed in a smoke alarm. The security issue is huge. Is this from Britain or a foreign power? If foreign, then it’s terrifying.

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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:34 PM

    @Daniel Bohan: why terrifying from an Irish perspective? If it is the work of one of any number of foreign powers it’s par for course really. It’s not as if Britain hasn’t a track record in this department.

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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:36 PM
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    Mute Daniel Bohan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:35 PM

    @Kevin Burke: Oh sorry. Things are only terrifying in Ireland? In that case, check your local handball alley…Insular people like you should check tea mornings in the local bridge club!

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    Mute Declan Joseph Deasy
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:02 PM

    @Kevin Burke: hope someone is checking our offices

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    Mute Kevin Burke
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    Jun 28th 2021, 3:26 AM

    @Daniel Bohan: you missed my point completely, but ok.

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Jun 28th 2021, 7:45 AM

    @Kevin Burke: you missed his point too.

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    Mute Mark Doyle
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    Jun 27th 2021, 5:24 PM

    He knowingly sent elderly covid patients from hospital into care homes. He was also found guilty of illegally awarding PPE contracts to chocolate factories while healthcare staff died from a lack of PPE. Tens of thousands died because of his actions, but he resigns for kissing an aide? Doesn’t make sense.

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    Mute DangerousDave
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    Jun 28th 2021, 12:41 AM

    @Mark Doyle: It does make sense chief, he appointment her to a role which hadn’t previously existed (they were friends in college) his dirty plan resulted in him falunting his own guidelines while simultaneously cheating on his wife. He was already in an ominous position to say the least after Dominic Cummings told us all that Boris believes he’s incompetent. He had to go, not that I’m a fan of Leo.

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    Mute Donal Desmond
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    Jun 27th 2021, 4:18 PM

    Varadkar might be willing to help out…A dab hand at leaks is our Leo.

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    Mute Michéal Ó Tuama
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:34 PM

    Tis a lovely day for a spot of schadenfreude

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    Mute Kerry Evans
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:50 PM

    @Michéal Ó Tuama:
    10/10

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    Mute Theportobello
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:35 PM

    There is no English government. Yes, health is devolved to the nations but it’s still the department of Health for the U.K. It’s PA copy – you only have to write the headline – how do you manage to get it so wrong?

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    Mute Watchful Axe
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:15 PM

    @Theportobello: Most English consider the Welsh & Scottish as effectively English anyway, lol. And the Welsh/Scots consider Westminster as English. I wouldn’t be so fussed about it.

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:50 PM

    Definitely nothing to do with a balding Scot who had a a recent falling out with n. 10 then? The lad would make our very own leakmeister extraordinaire look like an amateur in comparison.

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    Mute Mark Murphy
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:47 PM

    He had good grip in that lady’s back door haha bye bye Hancock Hahaha

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    Mute Stephen Walsh
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:58 PM

    There is no such thing as a Government of England, or Health Minister of England etc. Pretty poor journalism. Understandable perhaps on an American website, but they’re our next door neighbours, the Journal’s understanding of their constitutional structure should be better than this.

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    Mute Theportobello
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:16 PM

    @Stephen Walsh: whoever is writing these is taking PA copy and switching British for English. It’s incorrect and infuriating. Is there no actual editor looking at this stuff?

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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:02 PM

    Someone with a grudge I suspect:)

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:31 PM

    Dirty sod

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    Mute James McErlain
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:19 PM

    @Margaret Kane: are you jealous?

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    Mute Joe ryan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:35 PM

    The video looked a little staged, camera was moving slightly, unusual for CCTV.

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 7:14 PM

    @Joe ryan: somebody using a phone to grab footage from a screen.

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    Mute Maria Clery-Breen
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:36 PM

    Ask Carrie

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    Mute OConnelj
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:50 PM

    @Maria Clery-Breen: I’d be asking Gina

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    Mute pat seery
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    Jun 27th 2021, 2:55 PM

    The K G B LEAKED IT

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    Mute trebloc01
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    Jun 27th 2021, 3:55 PM

    It could have been worse, hah he been picking his nose

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    Mute Jacqueline berry
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    Jun 27th 2021, 5:33 PM

    They should be investigating something else.

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    Mute Patrick Khan
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    Jun 27th 2021, 8:47 PM

    Our CMO begged the government to cover up the cervical cancer scandel and now lool at him still ruinong careere and livelihoods and gets awards. Pathetic country we live in

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    Mute Brian Farrell
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    Jun 27th 2021, 6:31 PM

    #10.

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