TALLAHASSEE — Florida Gov. Rick Scott has signed a school safety bill passed by the Legislature in response to the Valentine's Day mass shooting that killed 17 people at a high school.
The bill signed Friday falls short of what Scott and the shooting's survivors wanted. It also marks Scott's break with the National Rifle Association.
It raises the minimum age to buy rifles from 18 to 21, extends a three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns and bans bump stocks that allow guns to mimic fully automatic fire. It also creates a so-called "guardian" program that enables teachers and other school employees to carry handguns.
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Student activists from the school where the shooting took place followed the bill's track closely and called it "a baby step."
The NRA opposes raising age limits to buy weapons or imposing new waiting periods. In a statement Thursday, NRA and Unified Sportsmen of Florida lobbyist Marion Hammer called the bill "a display of bullying and coercion" that would violate Second Amendment rights and punish law-abiding citizens.
Broward County teachers union President Anna Fusco met with Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and let him know that teachers support the school safety bill, but don't like the provision that allows school employees and some teachers to carry guns after receiving law enforcement training. She said she wants Gov. Rick Scott to veto the money for the so-called guardian program when he receives the budget. Scott can't veto individual items in the bill itself, but can does have line-item veto power with the budget.
"We support the bill," Fusco said. "I know there's lots of things in there that are a start, and there's in there that's going to bring some pieces back together for Parkland. But there's a piece in there that we're concerned about -- arming educators in schools."
The program to arm teachers would be optional, and the Broward County school superintendent has already said he doesn't want to participate. Fusco said she expects Scott to sign the bill.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old former student accused of opening fire at the school on Feb. 14 made his initial appearance before a judge on 17 attempted murder charges added this week by the grand jury. In the brief hearing Friday, Nikolas Cruz stood with his head bowed as he appeared via video conference. He is also charged with 17 counts of first-degree murder.
Cruz's public defender withdrew an initial not guilty plea, leaving him to "stand mute" for now, but has said he will plead guilty if prosecutors take the death penalty off the table and sentence him to life in prison instead. Prosecutors have not announced a decision.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.