Indivisible groups across Florida ask Gov. Rick Scott to veto funding for the Guardian program

Earlier this month, Gov. Rick Scott expressed sincere reservations about any measure that would put guns in the hands of teachers or school staff. We agree with his concerns.

Earlier this month, the Florida legislature passed a measure in the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act” that creates a voluntary Guardian program arming school staff which school districts are able to opt into, on a district-by-district case. Despite any previous fears, Gov. Scott signed the bill into law on March 9th. While we recognize that policy had to change in the wake of the fifth most deadly school shooting in US history, the Guardian program only serves to increase the danger of guns in Florida’s schools.

We have a simple request. The budget that was passed by the Florida legislature on March 11, 2018 contains allocations to fund the Guardian program.  The Florida Education Association has already contacted Gov. Scott’s office with a request to use his line-item veto powers to cut the funding for the Guardian program from the state budget. We respectfully ask the same.  

Allowing more guns in school settings invites more tragedy in the place students should be safest. Just this week, a security guard at a middle school in Alexandria, VA accidentally fired a shot inside the school. Students were already in the building, attending their morning classes. The Guardian program potentially puts as many as 200,000 more guns in Florida schools, dramatically increasing the potential for accidental tragedy.

We ask Gov. Scott to stand by his word. We ask that he does not deliberately exacerbate the gun problem affecting every school in the state. We ask that he decline to fund the Guardian program.

Endorsed by 25 Indivisible groups across the state of Florida:

Vickie Neapolitan-Scott, Indivisible NWFL  [contact: 513-550-3274, [email protected] ]

Christine Hanna, Indivisible Action Tampa Bay

Linda Roe, Venice Indivisible

Tracey Tapp, Progressives NWFL

Dianne Perry, Action Together Suncoast

Mary Lawrence, Indivisible St. Johns

Risa Ross, Ormond Beach Action Group

Robin Dion, Ponte Vedra United for Progress

Kathryn Norris, The Florida Keys Indivisible

Orlando Indivisible

Nancy Levine, Indivisible Mandarin

Pat Halperin, Indivisible Bradenton Pro-gressive

Darlene Goodfellow, Indivisible East Hillsborough

Stephanie Karst, Indivisible Gainesville

Becky Berman, Indivisible United Florida 6th District

Vickie Dunn, Indivisible FL-13

Mary Jane Romano, Indivisible Vero Beach

Katherine Sutherland, United for Action—Central Florida

Jane Hunter, Englewood Indivisible

Dee Melvin, Indivisible in The Villages

Kaye Abight, Indivisible Marion County

Virginia Ruppert, Indivisible Pasco

Diana Becker Lebrun, Indivisible Flagler

Linda Roe, Indivisible Venice

Laurie Woodward Garcia, Broward for Progress

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