Lawmakers in Florida pass a controversial bill moving the state one step closer to gun control reforms.
ADVERTISEMENTLawmakers in Florida’s House of Representatives have moved the state one step closer to gun control reforms. Despite opposition from the powerful National Rifle Association, they have passed a 320-million-euro bill raising the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 and demanding a three-day waiting period on all sales of firearms.
The gun control and school safety bill comes a matter of weeks after 17 people were killed in Parkland, Florida, in one of the deadliest school shootings in US history. Andrew Pollack lost his daughter Meadow in the attack.
"We thank the House and Senate for voting in favour of protecting our children. But more needs to be done and it's important for the country to unite, in the same way the 17 families united in support of this bill... I'm on a mission to ensure that I'm the last dad to ever read a statement of this kind", he said.
Expelled former student Nicolas Cruz has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder and 17 counts of attempted murder.
The bill will now go to state governor, Rick Scott. Earlier this week, his spokeswoman said he wasn’t yet sure whether he would back the new measures.