The Daily - Thursday, Mar. 15, 2018

Episode Date: March 15, 2018

Florida is a great state to be a gun owner. For years, it has been a laboratory of sorts for the National Rifle Association — it’s the state that invented the concealed-carry permit. Gun control proponents had started to resign themselves to the fact that they might never pass any laws. Then came Parkland.Guest: Patricia Mazzei, the Miami bureau chief for The New York Times. For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily.

From The New York Times, I'm Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today, days after the shooting in Parkland, Florida, with students from the school looking on, state lawmakers voted to not even consider gun control. What changed their minds? Consider gun control. What changed their minds?

It's Thursday, March 15th. Patty, can you tell me a little bit about Florida and its relationship to guns? Florida is a great state to be a gun owner. Patty Mazzei is a national reporter for The Times. And it's been a laboratory for years for the National Rifle Association. We're a gun state. People in Florida love their guns. This is a state that invented the concealed carry permit, where all you need to do is pass a very simple protocol and pay a fee to get a permit. The Florida Gun Show at the Lee Civic Center in North Fort Myers makes it possible for people to get a gun and the permit to carry it.

The state has more concealed carry permits than any other state in the country by a lot. I mean, we're talking more than 1.7 million permits in a state that has 20 million people. So almost one in 10 Floridians has a concealed carry permit. Wow. We'll move over to Disney World. Machine Gun America is a new theme park in Orlando, Florida, where kids as young as 13 years old shoot guns, including AK-47s. And the state has been so friendly to gun rights

that it has been dubbed the gun-shined state. And how did the gun-shined state actually become the gun-shined state? Well, the story of how Florida got here can be told through sort of a legendary figure in Tallahassee political circles. We have a responsibility to youngsters to make sure that they learn the right things about firearms. Marion Hammer runs the NRA chapter in Florida. She's the former president of the NRA, the first female president over the organization. And if they don't feel passionate about the Second Amendment and freedom and

liberty, then they're the generation that could lose it all for this nation. She moved to Tallahassee in the late 70s, and in the late 80s, she was the one who masterminded the concealed carry permit law. And since then, most states have adopted some version of this law, but people forget that Florida was first. And what led to Marion Hammer pushing for the concealed carry law in the first place? Well... One of the guys leaned out of the back window of the car.

She has said that she was approached by a carload of young men who she thinks were going to try to rob her, to assault her. I stepped behind a big column and reached in my purse and pulled out my gun. And I stepped out and I drew the gun up through the headlights of the car, and I aimed at the driver. And she had a handgun and was able to scare them away, and so she always makes an argument for self-defense. The police chief told me, well, in that situation, if you'd called the police, we'd have arrested you because you were the only one who employed the use of deadly force.

And that made me angry because a 2,000-pound car and six drunk men and they would have arrested me? It sounds like lawmakers in Florida were sympathetic to her argument. were sympathetic to her argument? Well, not only have they been sympathetic to her argument, she has been able to mobilize voters on this issue to vote for and against candidates and to speak out for and against legislation throughout the years. That's probably where the NRA has been most effective. And there was a huge political shift in Tallahassee.

The state capitol used to be run by Democrats for decades, and then in the early 90s, that switched. This really is unusual because it looks like we're going to see a Republican sweep in Florida. To the point that by 1998... A complete takeover of the state capitol. Republicans held control of both the House and Senate. And the governor's mansion with George Bush's son, Jeb Bush.

And they have in the 20 years since. So the combination of someone powerful like Marion Hammer with the NRA and the Republican takeover in Tallahassee makes Florida a perfect environment for the NRA and the GOP to come together and push a pro-gun agenda. This is a sensible law that other states have adopted because you shouldn't have to choose between being attacked or going to jail. We had Governor Jeb Bush who signed Stand Your Ground into law in 2005. This is the law that means you have no duty to retreat.

If you feel threatened by deadly force, you can use it. Popping up around Florida could be parking lots that double as arsenals. You had Governor Charlie Crist. Governor Charlie Crist just signed a law that would allow people to keep a gun locked inside their cars outside of stores and businesses. And now Governor Rick Scott, who has signed many laws in favor of gun owners in his eight-year term. Governor Rick Scott has now signed more pro-gun bills into law in one term than any other governor in Florida history. For example, in 2011, it passed a bill known in Florida as Docs and Glocks. This was a bill that prohibited doctors from asking patients if they had a gun at home.

This is a question that pediatricians ask to make sure that guns are kept safely away from children. And Florida banned that, which doctors just kept saying was not OK because they needed to ask that for patients' own safety. And in each of these cases, you've had Marion Hammer, who continues to head the NRA in Florida, be involved in pushing the legislation forward. So Florida is a place where the NRA and gun rights advocates have a lot of sway and feel like they can experiment with the law and really push the envelope. Is that right? Yes. I think people might be surprised that Florida has sort of been the first place to adopt some of these laws. And so over the past decade, you had several high profile gun incidents in Florida. The death of Trayvon Martin.

As the national fury grows, vigils and marches are spreading throughout the U.S. Omar Mateen arrived at Pulse Orlando, a gay nightclub and bar, armed with an AR-15 type assault rifle, a handgun, and an unknown number of rounds of ammunition. It's happened again. Five people dead, eight wounded in a shooting

at an airport in Fort Lauderdale. The gun was inside the suspect's checked luggage. But none of them led to any major action. Gun control proponents started to resign themselves to the fact that they might never be able to pass any laws. And then came Parkland. We'll be right back. We'll be right back. How many people in here are under the age of 30?

How many of you are going to vote in the next election? The Parkland shooting happens, and the students and parents and families at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took to Tallahassee. They arrived by the busload at the state capitol. They held a rally outside. They chanted in the hallways. They mobbed the committee rooms and said they wanted action. But the very first thing that the Democratic minority in the Florida House tried to do,

which was bring out their assault weapons ban, which had not gotten a hearing this session. All those in favor signify by saying yay. Yay. Opposed. No. Got shut down. Show the motions not adopted. And there were students in the public gallery listening and the students burst out crying.

So this looks like business as usual in Tallahassee when it comes to gun control. Yes. But then the Republicans in power decide that they're going to submit a bill of their own. And what's actually in that bill? The governor proposed a plan, and then the House and Senate proposed a separate plan.

They were not identical, but they were pretty similar. And what they put forth was, we're going to raise the minimum age to buy any gun in Florida. The Senate will be in order. Right now, you can buy a handgun at 21, but you can buy an assault rifle at 18. Right. So they're going to raise all guns to 21. Good morning.

They're going to extend a three-day waiting period also for all gun purchases, not just for handguns. Senators and guests in the gallery will please rise for the opening prayer to be given this morning. And they're going to put $400 million towards school safety and mental health programs. So putting an armed police officer in every school and at least one in every big high school, funding dedicated mental health counselors who are not also going to be teaching math. Senator Galvano having closed on Senate Bill 7026. And giving police more power to confiscate the weapons

of people that they deemed troubled, even if only temporarily, so that they can't harm themselves or others. And then, perhaps most controversially, putting more guns in schools in the hands of staff and some teachers. The secretary will unlock the board and senators will prepare to vote. Have all senators voted, lock the board and announce the vote.

20 ayes, 18 nays, Mr. President. So the bill passes in the Senate by one vote. With that, we will stand in informal recess until promptly at 6.30 p.m. And the House will come to order. Members, please take your seats. Then comes the real test, which is the House, which is a lot more conservative and has more members who come from districts where gun control is not something you can run re-election on. Perhaps something that can cost you re-election.

Correct. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. This is a Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. So they start debating, and they go on for eight hours. Representative Jenny, in debate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. You have Republican leaders in what would have been unthinkable just weeks earlier in the session arguing for some gun control. I do rise in support of this bill today.

Let's prove to them that we can get it right this time. I'm going to vote up on this bill today because it's the right thing to do. And I hope you do, too. You have Democrats who say the bill is not everything we want, not even close. But, you know, some of us are willing to vote with Republicans on this. But make sure that whatever you vote, that you do it with a clear conscience and that you're able to sleep when you go to bed at night. Do not let our disagreements divide us. Thank you very much.

And then you have a group of Republican lawmakers who are not saying much at all. And these are Republicans from conservative or rural districts or who are running for statewide office in November in contested Republican primaries who oppose the bill. And everybody knows that they oppose them. But they're not making stride in arguments in general because it's so fraught with emotion. You have the parents of the dead there. It's difficult to stand up and say, let's not do anything on guns. So at this point, it looks like the bill is going to pass.

The key came when you realized that there were Democrats from Broward County who were going to vote yes. And not only were they going to pass. The key came when you realized that there were Democrats from Broward County who are going to vote yes. And not only were they going to vote yes, they were going to make the most persuasive argument for other Democrats to join them. And the culmination of this is the final speech. Representative Moskowitz, you're recognized. By Representative Jared Moskowitz of Coral Springs, which is right next door to Parkland. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. He is a Stoneman Douglas graduate.

People, when I would tell them, hey, I'm an elected official, I'm on this commission from the city of Parkland, the first thing they would say to me is, where the hell is Parkland? Well, now the world knows where Parkland is. And his four-year-old son was in preschool down the street from the shooting. He had been so happy how to learn to write his name, but he wanted to get better. So we signed him up for a writing class. That writing class was going on in Parkland on the afternoon of February 14th around the corner from Douglas. And?

And that class was taught by Jen Guttenberg. The boy's teacher had her daughter at Stoneman Douglas. And? And that class was taught by Jen Guttenberg. The boy's teacher had her daughter at Stoneman Douglas. You see, she lost her daughter, Jamie, while she was teaching. My son had a right. She put my kid in a closet when her daughter died. I wanted to say thank you at the funeral. I didn't know how to do that. I hope that when I push the green button, that will show all the appreciation that I need and that she needs. You don't need to stand with me. I don't need you to stand with me. I need you to stand with the families. Push the green button. Thank you. So if there were people still on the fence by that point, this was the speech

that probably would have pushed them to voting yes. I mean, I have never seen the House chamber so wrapped at a speech from someone in the back of the room because the Democrats sit in the back. You know, they don't have any power in Tallahassee, but they listen to every word of that speech. So after the speech, then what happens? The clerk will unlock the machine and the members will proceed to vote. They call the vote in the House and they open the board for people to vote yes or no. All members voted. And the votes go on the board.

Clerk will lock the machine and announce the vote. 67 yays. 15 yays, Mr. Speaker. And the bill passes. Show the bill passes. Read the next bill. I want to thank everyone for being here today. I cannot possibly convey to you the grief that I have seen and felt in attending funerals and spending time with these families.

And then the final hurdle is what will Governor Rick Scott do? Because this was not exactly the legislation that he had championed. There were some differences. And he is expected to run for the United States Senate in Florida later this year and challenge the Democrat Bill Nelson. And he has had the support of the NRA in the past. So he could have decided to veto the bill, but he asks the families from Parkland of the victims to come to Tallahassee and he meets with them. victims to come to Tallahassee and he meets with them. And they tell him they don't like everything in the law, but they would like him to sign it. And he comes out and he tells the press with the family standing behind him. There are things of this bill that I oppose, and I've been pretty open about that. That he doesn't like everything in the law. So after reviewing the entire bill, I had to ask myself, will this bill make a huge investment and dramatically improve school safety in hopes of never seeing another tragedy like this again? Will

this bill provide more funding to treat the mentally ill? Will this bill give far more tools to keep guns away from people who should not have them? The answer to all three is yes. And that is why I'm signing the legislation today. And so for the first time in 20 years of Republican control, Florida passed new gun restrictions in defiance of the NRA. What had changed to bring these Republicans to a place to do something that they clearly would not have done in the past? Well, there were several factors at play. Public opinion polls showed that a majority of Florida

voters favor some sort of gun control. And so maybe that pushed some Republicans into a position where they were willing to compromise. You had Democratic lawmakers agreeing to work with Republicans, even if they didn't like everything that was in the bill, just to say, we have to pass something. Something is better than nothing. The timing was important because the legislature was still in session and had just enough time to get a bill drafted and passed. And then, of course, there were the students.

The students were so vocal and active on social media, on mainstream media, and just showing up in person to the state capitol, and they were impossible to ignore. And then there was a trip that lawmakers took from both chambers of the legislature that went to Stoneman Douglas High School in the two days immediately following the shooting, when it was still closed off by police tape. And they walked the hallways and they saw the deep red bloodstains in the halls and the bullet pocked walls and the backpacks and stuff laying everywhere. The police officers showed them where the gunmen tried to shoot

out at people running from the building. And the police told them only because there's hurricane impact glass was this tragedy not worse than it already was. They picked up scraps of paper that kids had left behind. And some of them were from social studies class, AP government class, where they were studying how a bill becomes a law. And I think that personal connection just underscored for them how important this was. The Senate sponsor, Bill Galvano, who's the incoming Senate president, told me going to Stoneman Douglas was like going to a graveyard.

I'm reminded of the story that you told at the beginning of our conversation about Marion Hammer, the lobbyist from the NRA, who was able to communicate her own very personal and traumatic experience with guns to push for gun rights. Yeah, it's the personal anecdote that helped get the gun laws passed for years in Florida to make them less restrictive. And now it's the anecdotes of lawmakers and meeting with students who were victims in Parkland, getting them to restrict them again. But we should remember the many other anecdotes that did not get action because they were not taking place at this particular moment where the emotions were so raw, where the politics were in place for the legislature to change. So Florida, the state that's been so friendly to guns,

in a matter of just weeks, does something that has been almost unthinkable on the national stage. Is this indicative of perhaps how the issue of guns might play out across the country and maybe in the congressional midterm elections coming up this fall? Or is it because of the special circumstances and the power of the personal anecdote that somehow might make this unreplicable

and maybe impossible to repeat elsewhere? I don't think we know yet. The students are going to try to replicate this elsewhere. I think they might find it difficult to do outside of Florida. However, if you had told me a few months ago that gun control was going to be an issue in the Florida midterms, I wouldn't have believed you. So maybe the students have a chance.

Patty, thank you very much. Thank you, Michael. My pleasure. At 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning, tens of thousands of students walked out of their classrooms in a nationwide demonstration against current gun laws and in support of students at Stoneman Douglas High School. MSD strong! MSD strong! MSD strong! They say that we are kids, that we don't know how the world works. We're here to show that we are woke and we won't back down from this fight.

For me personally, I can vote in the next election and so can a lot of these students who are walking out today. And you better be ready because we're coming to make a change. Here's what else you need to know today. So, Mr. Speaker, there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable for the attempted murder of Mr. Skripal and his daughter and for threatening the lives of other British citizens in Salisbury. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister of Britain, Theresa May, ordered the immediate expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats as punishment for using a chemical weapon on British soil to poison a former Russian spy.

This will be the single biggest expulsion for over 30 years. May has accused Russia of using a rare nerve agent to try to kill Sergei Skripal, a double agent who sold Russian secrets to Britain. He remains in critical condition. In a statement, Russia called the expulsions, quote, totally unacceptable, unjustified, and short-sighted. And the Times reports that with a 627-vote lead, the Democratic candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania,

Conor Lamb, is the winner of Tuesday's special election against Republican Rick Saccone. Republicans may still demand a recount, but Lamb's lead appears to be insurmountable in a race that has been closely watched as a sign of where both parties stand ahead of this fall's midterm elections. That's it for The Daily.

I'm Michael Marlboro. See you tomorrow.