Democratic lawmakers fell well short Friday of getting enough votes to force a special legislative session on gun violence.
Only 19 Republican lawmakers responded to a formal poll on holding the session, with all of them voting against the idea. Meanwhile, 57 Democrats supported a special session.
“We felt as if what we’re asking to have a discussion about were things that are widely popular across the board, throughout the state of Florida and really the entire nation,” House Minority Leader Evan Jenne, D-Dania Beach, said during a conference call. “Unfortunately, those requests fell on deaf ears.”
Democrats used a legal procedure to spur the poll, and lawmakers had until 3 p.m. Friday to cast votes. Republicans hold large majorities in the House and Senate. Calling a special session would have required support from 60 percent of the overall members of the House and the Senate.
Democrats wanted lawmakers to address issues of universal background checks, expanding “red-flag” laws and regulating high-capacity rifle magazines after mass shootings in Buffalo, N.Y., and Uvalde, Texas.
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season doesn't begin until June 1, but we're already watching an…
Widespread flooding in Dubai last week has people wondering if cloud seeding is to blame…
A system sparking a severe weather outbreak over parts of the southeastern U.S. today will…
The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season will follow up on a busy 2023 season. The 2023…
Researchers at Colorado State University released their pre-seasonal Atlantic hurricane season forecast Thursday morning, calling…
A powerful storm system moves east on Wednesday, bringing showers and storms to the state…