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Legislators' plan would allow armed teachers

Posted at 2:43 PM, Feb 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-23 14:43:00-05

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) - The Latest on the deadly Florida school shooting (all times local):

1:15 p.m.

The Florida legislature's gun safety proposal would allow trained teachers to be armed, a key difference from the governor's plan.

State Senate President Joe Negron says a joint proposal by the state legislature will take concrete steps to make schools safer in response to a mass shooting that left 17 people dead at a high school last week.

Negron made the comments Friday afternoon, after Gov. Rick Scott announced his gun safety plan.

The legislature's proposal is similar to Scott's, including requiring people to be at least 21 to gun a buy and banning the sale of bump stocks. The plan also increases funding for mental health issues involving students and young adults.

House Speaker Richard Corcoran said the legislature's proposal also would allow a teacher who has completed the training required to be a law enforcement officer to carry a gun in school. He called that aspect of the plan a "game changer."

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12:45 p.m.

Florida's Democratic senator says the Republican governor's plan to prevent gun violence is showing "weak" leadership in the wake of a shooting that killed 17 people at a high school.

In a statement, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to ban the sale of firearms to anyone younger than 21 is "the bare minimum."

The senator said Scott's plan doesn't ensure comprehensive criminal background checks or ban weapons such as the AR-15 style rifle used in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

Nelson said that instead of listening to students, parents and teachers demanding action, Scott is "once again choosing to listen only to the NRA."

The governor met with students Wednesday night.

Nelson said the AR-15 needs to be banned and criminal background checks need to be expanded for anyone buying a gun.

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