The National Rifle Association has filed a lawsuit against Florida Governor Rick Scott, arguing that a newly signed law raising the age to buy long guns to 21 is unconstitutional.
The gun owners’ rights group filed the federal lawsuit just hours after Scott signed the bill in Tallahassee on Friday, which also included new school safety and mental health measures.
The new measures come in the wake of the February 14 shooting rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17 people.
Federal law already limits the purchase of handguns from licensed dealers to those over the age of 21. The new state law raises the age for purchasing rifles and shotguns from 18 to 21, and expands a three-day waiting period to buy handguns to apply to long guns as well.
Lawyers for the NRA want a federal judge to block the new age restriction from taking effect, saying it violates the Second Amendment.
Lawyers for the NRA want a federal judge to block the new age restriction from taking effect, saying it violates the Second Amendment. NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre is seen last month
The gun owners’ rights group filed the federal lawsuit just hours after Scott (pictured) signed the bill in Tallahassee on Friday
Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, says the bill ‘punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual.’
‘Swift action is needed to prevent young adults in Florida from being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to the right to keep and bear arms,’ Cox said in a statement.
‘We are confident that the courts will vindicate our view that Florida’s ban is a blatant violation of the Second Amendment.’
Among the compromise bill’s other provisions are a ban on ‘bump stocks’ that modify semi-automatic rifles to fire at a high rate, new funding for school mental health programs, and a school guardian program that would arm some school employees.
Full-time classroom teachers are exempt from participating in the guardian program unless they are JROTC instructors, current military service members, or current or former law enforcement officers.
Announcing the bill, Gov. Scott said: ‘Today should serve as an example to the entire country that government can and must move fast.’
Tony Montalto and his wife Jennifer lost their daughter Gina in the shooting. They stood next to Gov. Scott to watch him sign the bill
Scott is pictured on Friday addressing the media after signing the bill in
Also on Friday, an AP analysis of the NRA Foundation’s public tax records found that about 500 schools received more than $7.3 million from 2010 through 2016, mostly through competitive grants meant to promote shooting sports.
The grants have gone to an array of school programs, including the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, rifle teams, hunting safety courses and agriculture clubs.
Most of the schools are in medium-sized counties or rural areas, with few near major cities. The analysis found that nearly three-quarters of the schools that received grants are in counties that voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, while a quarter are in counties that voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton.
California received the most in school grants, more than $1 million, while Florida was a close second.
Florida’s Broward County school district is believed to be the first to stop accepting NRA money after the shooting there last month.
The teen charged in the shooting had been on a school rifle team that received NRA funding. School officials announced the change on Tuesday but declined to comment further.
Denver Public Schools followed on Thursday, saying it won’t pursue NRA grants in the future and will turn down several that were to be awarded this year. But officials in many other districts say they have no plans to back away.
‘Whatever I think of the NRA, they’re providing legitimate educational services,’ said Billy Townsend, a school board member in Florida’s Polk County district, whose JROTC programs received $33,000, primarily to buy air rifles.
‘If the NRA wanted to provide air rifles for our ROTC folks in the future, I wouldn’t have a problem with that.’