COUNTRY WALK OUT OF SCHOOL TO
DEMAND A CHANGE IN GUN
LEGISLATION, THE SENATE
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE FOCUSED ON
THE INSTITUTIONAL FAILURES THAT
HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR AN
ATTACK AT STONEMAN DOUGLAS.
THE FBI COULD HAVE AND
SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE TO
INVESTIGATE THE INFORMATION IT
WAS PROVIDED PRIOR TO THE
SHOOTING.
WHILE WE WILL NEVER KNOW IF WE
COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS
TRAGEDY, WE CLEARLY SHOULD HAVE
DONE MORE.
YET, DESPITE THE FACT THAT
EACH OF THESE AGENCIES WERE
FULLY AUTHORIZED AND EMPOWERED
TO TAKE ACTION WELL BEFORE
TRAGEDY STRUCK, NOT ONE OF THEM
FULFILLED THEIR DUTY.
THE TESTAMENTS OF THEIR FAILURE
IS 17 DEAD CHILDREN AND
TEACHERS.
17 MORE, WITH LIFE ALTERING
INJURIES.
A BURDEN WE MUST BARE FOREVER.
SENATOR MARCO RUBIO ALSO
SPOKE AT THE HEARING SAYING
THAT THE TRAGEDY WAS A RESULT
-- NOT ONLY OF GOVERNMENT
AGENCY FAILURES AT THE LOCAL
AND FEDERAL LEVEL, BUT OF
VULNERABILITIES IN EXISTING
LAW.
SENATOR RUBIO MIGHT NOT GO
AS FAR AS OUR NEXT GUEST IN
CALLING FOR PROHIBITION OF
ASSAULT WEAPONS.
THERE IS AN EFFORT RIGHT NOW TO
AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION TO
BAN THE SALE OF ASSAULT
WEAPONS.
CHRIS SMITH IS A FORMER
STATE SENATOR FROM SOUTH
FLORIDA.
HE CURRENTLY SERVES ON THE
STATE CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
COMMISSION.
AT A COMMISSION MEETING
YESTERDAY, HE ADDED A PROPOSAL
FOR AN ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN.
CHRIS SMITH JOINS US.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
YOU ARE ON THIS
CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
COMMISSION WHICH MEANS EVERY 20
YEARS, TO LOOK AT THE FLORIDA
CONSTITUTION -- HOW SHOULD WE
CHANGE IT AND HOW WOULD YOU
LIKE TO CHANGE THE FLORIDA
CONSTITUTION WHEN IT COMES TO
GUNS?
I WOULD LIKE TO BAN THE
SALE AND TRANSFER OF ASSAULT
WEAPONS HERE IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA.
YOU CAN'T HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO
THESE GUN SHOWS -- WE SHOULD
NOT HAVE PEOPLE GOING TO GUN
SHOWS AND BUYING ASSAULT
WEAPONS, WEAPONS THAT WERE
INTENDED FOR MILITARY OR JUST
THERE TO KILL MULTIPLE PEOPLE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED THAT HERE
IN FLORIDA.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE GUN
ADVOCATES WHO ARE GOING TO SAY
-- HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE AN
ASSAULT WEAPON?
WE HAVE A LONG DEFINITION
WITHIN IT.
ONE THING, IF IT TAKES MORE
THAN 10 ROUNDS -- IF IT TAKES
MORE THAN 10 ROUNDS THAT CAN
SHOOT AUTOMATICALLY, WE ARE
BANNING.
THERE IS A LEGAL
DEFINITION WE HAVE GONE
THROUGH.
I HAVE WORKED WITH A COUPLE OF
SCHOLARS TO CRAFT A DEFINITION
TO GO AFTER WHAT WE ARE AFTER.
TALK ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
DO YOU THINK YOU WILL GET
ENOUGH OF THE VOTE?
YOU KNOW, I PLAYED HIGH
SCHOOL BASKETBALL.
MY COACH SAYS THAT YOU MISS
100% OF THE SHOTS YOU DON'T
TRY.
I WILL AT LEAST TRY.
OF THE 37 MEMBERS, THERE ARE
ENOUGH OF THEM THAT ARE NOT
ELECTED OFFICIALS AND NOT
WORRIED ABOUT THE NEXT PRIMARY
OR THE NRA, THAT WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO SWAY
THEM.
IF I CAN JUST GET 22 OF THEM TO
AGREE TO THIS, WE COULD PUT IT
ON THE BALLOT.
BECAUSE THIS YEAR, 160
LEGISLATORS TALKED ABOUT IT IN
TALLAHASSEE.
WE WANT TO GIVE 30 MILLION
FLORIDIANS A CHANCE TO DISCUSS
IT AND VOTE ON IT.
SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND
THE PROCESS, NORMALLY YOU CAN
PUT AN ISSUE ON THE BALLOT FOR
A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
THROUGH PETITIONS.
YES.
THEY HAVE TO COLLECT
THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF
PETITIONS, WHICH WE KNOW IS A
COSTLY PROCESS.
YOU ARE ON THIS COMMISSION THAT
HAS THIS UNIQUE POWER.
THE UNIQUE POWER TO PUT THIS ON
THE BALLOT.
BUT AGAIN, YOU NEED 60% OF THE
VOTE.
WHO IS GOING TO PAY --
CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE NRA -
LOOK WHAT YOU ARE ALREADY
TALKING ABOUT.
WE HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS
OF KIDS THAT ARE WALKING OUT
TODAY AND PROTESTING.
YOU HAVE PARENTS.
YESTERDAY IN SAINT PETE, WE HAD
A COMMISSION MEETING.
PARENTS FROM STONEMAN DOUGLAS
HIGH SCHOOL CAME TO SPEAK.
TRUST ME.
IF WE GET THIS ON THE BALLOT,
THERE ARE ENOUGH PEOPLE -- IT
IS A BLESSING THAT IT IS TIMELY
THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS WHEN IT
HAPPENED SO WE CAN GET IT
STRAIGHT TO THE BALLOT NOW.
I KNOW THERE IS A PETITION
METHOD LOOKING AT THE 22
BALLOT.
THE 2020 BALLOT.
IT IS A BLESSING THAT I AM ON
IT NOW AND CAN POSSIBLY GET IT
ON NOW.
IF WE GET IT ON NOW, IT IS
HOLDING AT 62%.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE 60% TO PASS
IT.
BUT THE ENERGY YOU SEE FROM
YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE STATE.
THE ENERGY FROM THE PARENTS --
THE ENERGY FROM THIS NATION --
I THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH ENERGY
AND RIGHT-THINKING PEOPLE TO
DEFEAT ANY KIND OF OPPOSITION
FROM THE
NRA.
NOT TO RAIN ON YOUR
PARADE, BUT WHAT IF IT IS NOT
SUCCESSFUL?
WHAT IS NEXT?
WHERE DO YOU GO FROM THERE? IF
YOU TRY TO GET THIS DONE AND IT
DOES NOT SUCCEED, THEN WHAT?
WE TRY WITH THE
LEGISLATURE AGAIN.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP TRYING.
AFTER 16 YEARS IN THE
LEGISLATURE --
IT TOOK ME PLENTY OF YEARS TO
PASS ONE MEASURE.
IF YOU DON'T GET IT ON THE
BALLOT THIS TIME, WE WILL TRY
FOR 2020.
IF YOU GET ON THE BALLOT AND IT
DOESN'T PASS, WE TRY WITH THE
LEGISLATURE.
WE HAVE TO KEEP TRYING.
WE HAVE 17 REALLY STRONG
REASONS TO KEEP TRYING.
A MONTH AGO TODAY, 17 REASONS
TO KEEP TRYING IN THE STATE.
THAT WAS ONLY AT DOUGLAS.
WE TALK ABOUT PULSE AND SOME OF
THE CARNAGE IN THE STREETS
THROUGHOUT THE STATE, WE HAVE
TO KEEP
TRYING.
YOU HAVE SERVED THE
LEGISLATURE FOR 16 YEARS.
HOW IMPORTANT WAS THAT BILL
THAT REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY WENT
AGAINST THE NRA?
MANY PEOPLE SAY IT IS THE FIRST
STEP.
HOW BIG OF A STEP WAS IT, DO
YOU THINK?
I WILL GIVE THEM CREDIT.
IT WAS A GOOD STEP.
THEY HAD SOMETHING IN THE BILL
THAT I REALLY DON'T AGREE WITH.
THAT IS PUTTING THE GUNS IN
SCHOOLS.
BUT BY RAISING THE AGE AND
PUTTING IN SOME OF THE THINGS
THAT THE NRA DOESN'T LIKE, THAT
WAS A BIG STEP.
I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE SOME OF
THE PEOPLE I SERVED WITH
ACTUALLY VOTE AGAINST THE NRA.
SOMETHING I HAVE NOT SCENE
DURING MY WHOLE TIME THERE.
I THINK THE BILL IS HALF GOOD
AND HALF BAD.
IT WAS JUST SHOCKING.
IT SHOWS YOU WHAT THE POWER OF
THE PEOPLE ARE NOW.
WHEN THEY LOOK OUT AND SEE THE
EMOTION OF THESE KIDS AND OF
THESE PARENTS, IT SHOWS YOU
WHAT CAN HAPPEN.
YOU HAVE A LONG TIME A-RATED
NRA LEGISLATURES THAT ACTUALLY
VOTED FOR SOMETHING THE NRA DID
NOT LIKE.
QUICKLY, BEFORE WE LET YOU
GO, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NRA
AND WHY IT HAS SO MUCH POWER.
IS IT BECAUSE OF THE MONEY OR
BECAUSE OF THE VOTING POWER?
BECAUSE OF THE VOTING
POWER IN A REPUBLICAN PRIMARY.
THE NRA DOES NOT GIVE A LOT OF
MONEY TO CANDIDATES ON THE
STATE LEVEL IN FLORIDA.
BUT THEY HAVE LOYAL VOTERS AND
ACTIVE VOTERS.
SO IF YOU ARE IN A PRIMARY --
ESPECIALLY A REPUBLICAN
PRIMARY, THAT IS A LARGE VOTING
BLOCK.
THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF MY
REPUBLICAN FRIENDS HAVE A HARD
TIME VOTING AGAINST THEM.
EVEN IN THE GENERAL --
ACCOUNT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT IT IS MAINLY HARD AND A
REPUBLICAN PRIMARY TO BE
AGAINST THE NRA.
WE HAVE SEEN THEM TAKE OUT
JUDGES AND OTHER MEMBERS.
IT IS NOT THE DOLLARS THEY