The National Rifle Association filed a federal lawsuit against Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Friday, claiming the state’s new gun regulation bill violates the second amendment.
The lawsuit was filed just hours after the governor officially signed the state’s hotly debated new gun bill into law. It raises the minimum age to purchase a rifle or a shotgun from 18 to 21 years old. It also extends the three-day waiting period to all long guns. Federal law already prohibits the sale of handguns to those under 21, and imposes a minimum three-day waiting period.
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The new provisions come in response to the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed and 17 were injured.
The gun owner’s rights group claims that the new law is in violation of the Bill of Rights. The NRA wants a federal judge to officially deem the law unconstitutional.
The executive director of the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, Chris W. Cox, released a statement saying that the new law “punishes law-abiding gun owners for the criminal acts of a deranged individual.”
“Swift action is needed to prevent young adults in Florida from being treated as second-class citizens when it comes to the right to keep and bear arms,” Cox went on, according to the Daily Mail. “We are confident that the courts will vindicate our view that Florida’s ban is a blatant violation of the Second Amendment.”
In addition to the age restriction, the bill bans “bump stock” devices, which allow a semi-automatic rifle to fire rapidly, like an automatic weapon. It also adds funding to school mental health programs.
However, other measures imposed by the new law are good news for the NRA, particularly the program that will train and arm certain teachers within schools across the state. Named after Aaron Feis, the assistant football coach who shielded students from gunfire in the Feb. 14 shooting, the program will provide training and handguns for teachers who volunteer.
The bill strictly stipulates which teachers are allowed to carry weapons on school grounds. Those who only teach in classrooms aren’t eligible, but teachers who coach athletic teams or JROTC programs can sign up. Any school personnel with military or law enforcement backgrounds can also participate.
“Today should serve as an example to the entire country that government can and must move fast,” said Scott as he signed the bill. The legislation was hotly debated in both the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives, leaving few lawmakers completely satisfied. The Democratic minority was disappointed to compromise on the program for arming teachers, while the republicans were generally displeased to raise the minimum purchasing age.
