No Votes Close to Ending Calling For Stand Your Ground Special Session

August 14, 2013

The odds of a special session on Florida’s “stand your ground” law got longer Tuesday as legislators started a rare vote to determine if they should return to Tallahassee to debate the controversial law.

A day after 33 Democrats requested the unique polling procedure to hold the special session, 79 lawmakers cast votes, with 24 votes in favor, all from Democrats, and 55 votes against.

Among the “no” votes was one from Rep. Mike Clelland, a Lake Mary Democrat who comes from a Republican-leaning district in Seminole County. Also voting “no” were Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, and House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel.

Those calling for a special session on the law have to get “yes” votes from three-fifths of the Legislature — something that would require a total of 96 lawmakers to go along. The state’s 159 Legislators have until 11:59 p.m. Monday to sign and return the ballots to the Department of State. T

he proposal is an effort to circumvent opposition to a special session by Gov. Rick Scott and Republican legislative leaders. The process, allowed in state statutes, has never been used before to call a special session. A House subcommittee is expected to review the “stand your ground” self-defense law during a committee week this fall.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

2 Responses to “No Votes Close to Ending Calling For Stand Your Ground Special Session”

  1. billy on August 15th, 2013 1:11 am

    Stand your ground…..law or not

  2. BPD on August 14th, 2013 6:51 pm

    No need to waste a bunch of time reviewing a perfectly good law, especially since it was already reviewed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Archive