With Florida’s legislative session about one third of the way through, state Democrats are taking stock.
During a press conference on Monday, Florida House Democrats raised concerns about what’s been coming out of Washington D.C. and some bills supported by the state’s Republican leadership.
One Republican-backed bill (HB 759) would lower the state’s minimum age to purchase guns, from 21 to 18.
“Lowering the age back to 18, opens the door to more impulsive acts of violence and possible suicide. Especially when firearms are easier to access," said House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, as she held an online press conference with other House Dems.
Driskell, who opposes the legislation, says the proposal filed by Rep. Michelle Salzman, R-Pensacola, and Majority Leader Tyler Sirois, R-Merritt Island, would overturn gun-safety measures the Legislature and then-Gov. Rick Scott enacted in 2018 after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.
Opponents of the repeal point to the fact that the attacker was 19 years old and killed 17 people using a semiautomatic rifle. Driskell urged House Republicans Monday to reconsider changing the law.
“Stripping this law is reckless and a betrayal of this Legislature’s bipartisan commitment to the families who demanded action," said Driskell.
The House has approved similar measures in the past few years, but the effort has been stopped by the Senate. That chamber has not yet indicated whether it will take the bill up this year.
Meanwhile, Driskell is also concerned by President Donald Trump’s proposal to get rid of the U.S. Department of Education. Supporters say the move gives states more control over school funding.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 20, 2025
Closing the Department of Education would provide children and their families the opportunity to escape a system that is failing them," the White House said in its March 20 press release.
Driskell argues it could lead to some students having fewer opportunities.
“The Department of Education specifically, was created to protect low-income students, students with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities," she said.
Last month, the Republican-controlled Legislature passed sweeping immigration laws during a special session to enhance penalties for undocumented people living in Florida.
Driskell said more bills have been filed in recent weeks that require local governments to get involved in the state’s immigration crackdown—something she believes is an abuse of power.
“They clearly are political stunts," said Driskell. "We know that our local governments are dealing with so much on their hands that their woefully underfunded when it comes to these mandates that the state continues to put on them.”
Republicans take up over half of the seats in the House. They also have an advantage in the Senate, giving Democrats little power to block bills or put their own measures forward.
The full House on Wednesday, March 26, will discuss the possibility of lowering the gun-buying age among other things.
