Thread by @FloridaEA

#SB7030 will be heard in the Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee meeting which begins in just a few moments.

As soon the committee takes up 7030, we'll be live-tweeting. As always you can watch the meeting live at thefloridachannel.org

Sen. Diaz just wrapped up his introduction of the bill, now the committee members will ask questions and take up amendments.

In questioning, Senator Lee points out that the "guardian" training is ~140 hours. However, only 8 hours of active shooter training for a “guardian.”

By comparison for a Florida teacher to obtain their reading endorsement requires 300 hours of coursework

Sen. Stewart asks what else has been looked at in addition to/in lieu of the guardian program.

Diaz answers "at the end of the day a guardian or school safety officer is the last line of defense."

Sen. Taddeo asks for evidence that arming teachers will help to keep students safe.

The response is quite telling--there is no evidence that arming teachers will work.

Another good question from Sen. Taddeo who wants to know how LEOs will be able to identify the "guardian" and not mistake them for an assailant. The answer is "local control," but Diaz gives an example that in some counties guardians wear a "bright yellow shirt" as identification

.@SenMannyDiazJr again refers to the amount of training that a "guardian" must have. He says it is more than what a school resource officer must take.

It bears repeating, of the 140 hours of training, only 8 are in active shooter training.

Antoher question in committee is how will districts keep the names of guardians private for their protection.

Diaz says this is good idea--seems at odds with his statement less than 10 minutes ago that they might be identified by wearing "bright yellow shirts."

@SenJanetCruz follows up on the "bright yellow shirt" comment. She seeks clarficiation on whether or not guardians will be easily identified by LEOs when they arrive on campus or will they be anonymous?

Diaz answers "local control"

The committee members have finished with questions. They are now taking up amendments. The first from @SenJanetCruz who says teachers should be armed with "higher salaries" as she proposes an amendment which would remove teachers from being able to be guardians.

As public comment as ready to begin on the amendment Sen. Lee tells the public that they'll start with people from "outside Tallahassee."

First public comment is from an 8-year old who doesn't want his teacher to be armed. He tells the committee, "more guns means more danger"

Next comment is from @MomsDemand who points out the majority of Florida's districts have chosen not to participate in the guardian program. She tells the committee, "there is zero evidence arming teachers will make schools safer. In fact, research shows the opposite..."

Here is some of that evidence:
For active shooter events between 2000 and 2013, only about 3 percent were stopped by a civilian with a gun. Unarmed civilians stopped more incidents — about 13 percent. fbi.gov/file-repositor… (page 11)

The speaker is now telling the committee about times when weapons have been either left for students/parents to find on campus or accidentally fired. Here are links to a few such stories: foxnews.com/us/school-reso…

miamiherald.com/news/article20…

miamiherald.com/news/local/com…

So far, public testimony is 6-0 in favor of @SenJanetCruz's amendment to remove teachers from the guardian program in #SB7030

A school nurse who has her concealed carry permit and calls herself a 2nd amendment supporter asks the committee to "travel in the highway of common sense and evidence" and refrain from arming teachers.

Without debate on @SenJanetCruz's amendment, her effort to remove teachers from the bill is defeated.

The committee is now on another amendment. This one would make it a felony for an individual to pretend to be a "guardian." Without testimony or debate, the amendment passed.

The third amendment is now being heard, it's from @Annette_Taddeo who wants to raise the insurance liability limit for "when there is a negligent use of the gun. It would raise the current cap from $200,000 to $1,00,000"

The meeting is now 1/3 of the way over. Still debating amendments. There is a packed house ready to speak on the bill. Again, Sen. Lee earlier indicated that those who are not from Tallahassee will be allowed to speak first.

Sen. Taddeo's amendment failed. The committee is now taking up Sen. Cruz's second amendment,

Antonio White, who is a military veteran, and nows is with @UTD_AFT1974 is now addressing the committee. He asks the committee to focus on measures to reduce gun violence and to stop looking for "quick and inexpensive fixes."

White further tells the committee, "in the military we anticipate collateral damage" But that having collateral damage at a school is "simply unacceptable." He asks the committee to remove teachers from #SB7030.

Still on the Cruz amendment, a public school high-school senior asks the committee to remove teachers form #SB7030.

She says "let me be clear" you say this is "optional for teachers,' but it is not "optional for students."

The student continues, "there is a far greater chance of the gun being used in a negligent manner" than being used to stop a perpetrator. "Please do not put my life...in risk." She concludes, "I want to worry about my English class not about whether my teacher will pull a gun."

A second public school student is now asking the committee to support the @SenJanetCruz amendment to remove teachers from #SB7030, she tells the committee they must focus on mental health.

Too often, guidance counselors, school psychologists, and social workers are charged with tasks such as proctoring standardized tests which prevents them from being available for meeting student needs.

The National Association of School Counselors (NASC) recommends a student ratio of 250:1. For the 2017-18 school year, the average ratio in Florida was 458:1. Approximately 1/3rd of Florida’s districts were over twice the recommended limit.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) recommends a student ratio of 250:1 for general education students. When a social worker provides services to a student with intensive needs a ratio of 1:50 is suggested

For the 2017-18 school year, the average ratio in Florida was 2003:1. All but one of Florida’s counties were over twice the recommended limit.

The student continues, "an armed teacher will not stop a student from committing suicide,' but a teacher armed with suicide awareness training can help to save a student's life. She encourages the committee to adopt the @SenJanetCruz amendment.

Next speaker is a recent graduate from Stoneman Douglass High School. She recounts the harrowing events that took place on February 14, 2018.

Through tears, the student says, "arming teachers does not make students safe" and asks the committee to adopt @SenJanetCruz amendment.

The next speaker is @NicoletSpringer from @LWVFlorida who also urges the committee to adopt the Cruz amendment. She tells the committee "we already have a teacher shortage" and arming teachers will cause even more teachers to flee the profession.

Springer points out that "only 8 hours" of the required training is in active shooter training. She contrasts that with third graders who take 100+ hours of testing.

We have now reached the halfway point of the committee meeting.

Debate is still on amendments. With many people speaking in favor of @SenJanetCruz amendment to remove teachers from #SB7030.

@NicoletSpringer asks the committee to think of the "students and teachers who came here today" and asked you not to arm teachers.

Public testimony has concluded on @SenJanetCruz second amendment.

Again, the senators did not debate.

Despite overwhelming support from the public who showed up to speak, the amendment did not pass.

The committee is now taking up the final amendment before addressing the entire bill. This amendment from @Annette_Taddeo would allow parents to "opt out" their child from being in a classroom with a teacher who is a "guardian"

First to speak on this amendment is Angie Gallo from @FloridaPTA who supports the amendment. She shares that 77.7% of PTA members around the state who responded to their survey do not want teachers to be armed.

@SenMannyDiazJr says that the concept of parents "opting out" of having their child an a classroom with an armed teacher is "interesting," but needs more time to be worked out.

@TomLeeFL also says the @Annette_Taddeo amendment (which was just voted down) is "interesting" and hopes that the committee can work on the idea of allowing parents to opt their children out of being in a classroom with an armed teacher.

With the amendments now being finished, the committee has moved on to the bill itself. First to testify on #SB7030 is a law enforcement officer, and school district employee, from Seminole County.

He offers his three top priorities for keeping students safe. Arming teachers is not on list.

45 minutes left in the meeting--significantly more than 45 people left who've signed up to speak.

In response to a question the LEO form Seminole County corrects the record. He says that when the committee was told earlier that guardians receive the same amount of training as school resource officers was "highly inaccurate." SROs receive far more training than guardians.

A motion has been made to end public comment and enter debate at 5:35 with a time certain vote on 5:45. Motion passes.

So there will be 15 more minutes of public input and a total of 10 minutes of debate.

A Broward County teacher and former US Army Officer is now testifying. He speaks of the high number of accidental discharge of weapons among the US Marine Corps. Says this is simply unacceptable to have guns in the hands of teachers.

The next speaker, also a teacher from Broward County, says "I teach good citizenship and good sportsmanship." She says #SB7030 is a "reactive approach" and urges the committee to vote it down,

While only two individuals have spoken in opposition to #SB7030 so far (and none in favor), there have been dozens and dozens who have waved in opposition (and none in favor)

The next speaker who is also a teacher asks the committee, "If you've taken the curriculum out of our hands, why would you want to put guns in them?"

Another 15 individuals have waived in opposition.
There was one individual who waived in support.
Then another dozen who waived in opposition.

The first speaker in support is now testifying.

She is the president of "Charter Schools of Hillsborough County."

She further asks the committee to look into areas where the fire code and safety code are in opposition to one another.

Now speaking is Jackson County science teacher and US Marine Corps veteran Dave Galloway tells the committee, "these worlds don't work together."

He asks the committee to vote down #SB7030.

Public testimony has now ended. Senator Lee is now reading into the record all of the individuals who signed up but who were unable to speak.

Now, there will be 10 minutes of debate.

First in debate is Senator Hooper.

Hooper says he supports the bill after discussions with Sheriff Gualtieri.

@SenJanetCruz and @Annette_Taddeo both express why they oppose the bill. With Sen. Taddeo mentioning that in the Pulse Nightclub shooting there were 13 trained officers who shot over 100 rounds. Only seven on those rounds his the shooter.

@SenJanetCruz asks the committee, "Who are we listening to?" She references the overwhelming public opposition and encourages others on the committee to listen to the public.

Sen. Bean says he supports the bill, though he wishes he "didn't have to vote on the bill," Bean suggests that if schools have signs notifying the public that they have armed teachers on campus that will deter shooters.

He offers no evidence to back up the claim.

Sen. Lee also expresses his reluctant support for the bill and points out that he didn't support the school safety bill last year because it was rushed.

Sen. Diaz is now explaining why he supports the bill. He says that if teachers at MSD had been armed they tragedy would have been less severe. He says there are "districts that need this and districts that won't use it."

#SB7030 has passed the Infrastructure and Safety Committee.

We'll post a vote tally as soon as it's available, so you can see who voted in favor.

Thank you to everyone who contacted your Senator--especially the students and educators who spoke today.

#SB7030 still has one more committee reference. So, now is not the time to back down, but to engage even more in advocacy.

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