Rubio, Scott vote no on gun reforms

Bill introduced in reaction to school shooting in Uvalde

Florida’s Marco Rubio and Rick Scott were not among the 15 Republican U.S. senators who voted in favor of the Senate gun reform bill on Thursday night, with both citing concerns over constitutional protections and due process.

Rubio’s vote drew criticism from Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings, his likely opponent in the November election.

The $13 billion measure would toughen background checks for the youngest gun buyers, keep firearms from more domestic violence offenders and help states put in place red flag laws that make it easier for authorities to take weapons from people judged dangerous. It would also fund local programs for school safety, mental health and violence prevention.

The bill was spurred by the mass shooting at a school in Uvalde, Texas, last month that killed 21. It passed 65-33.

Scott signed a similar law in Florida as governor after the Parkland high school shooting in 2018 that killed 17. But he said in a pre-vote statement that the Senate “decided to take action that is not consistent with the aggressive due process protections that I fought for when I was governor.”

The Senate bill “abandons Florida’s model and allows even the most radical policies, like California’s red flag law, to be implemented and supported with federal funding,” Scott said. “Ironclad due process protections are essential to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans and we can NEVER compromise on that.”

Both Rubio and Scott praised the part of the bill that contained the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, which permanently authorizes the Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety that provides resources for protecting schools.

“Unfortunately, after careful review, the constitutional protections in the package are inadequate,” Rubio said in a statement. “... I promised the people of Florida I would do everything I could to keep our schools and communities safe while protecting their constitutional rights. This bill fails that test.”

Demings, D-Orlando, called Rubio’s vote “downright disappointing but not surprising.”

“His ‘no’ vote has nothing to do with protecting constitutional rights, and everyone who knows him knows that,” Demings said. “It’s about $3.3 million dollars in campaign spending by the gun lobby. After the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Buffalo, and so many others, including Parkland and Pulse, right here in Florida, it’s just too hard for him to stand up to the gun lobby and fight to keep Florida’s families safe.”