Florida Lawmakers Consider Expanding Guardian Program to College Campuses

Proposed Expansion of Florida's Guardian Program

• 🏛️ Florida Senator Don Gates has introduced a bill to expand the state's Guardian program to include professors, students, and employees on college campuses.
• 🏫 The bill aims to allow colleges and universities to voluntarily opt-in to the program for enhanced campus security.
• ⚠️ Senator Gates stated that the bill is a response to recent campus violence, including incidents at Florida State University and Brown University, highlighting the need for better security and action plans.

Background and Previous Attempts

• 🔫 The current Guardian program permits trained school teachers to carry firearms.
• 📉 A similar bill seeking to allow guns on college campuses was proposed earlier this year but failed to pass.
• 🎯 Senator Gates believes his current proposal offers a better approach to campus safety.

Additional Proposals and Legislative Session

• ⛪ Senator Gates is also proposing a separate bill that would permit armed volunteers to protect places of worship.
• 🗓️ Florida's legislative session is scheduled to begin on January 13th.
• ❓ The proposals come amidst ongoing concerns about student safety following recent shootings.