Sensible legislator

For the first time in many years I’m hopeful that some degree of sanity regarding gun-violence prevention is entering the Legislature. Florida has long been known as the “Gunshine State,” where the NRA could count on any gun legislation it wanted being passed without question by Republican legislators.

But now, we have a Republican senator, Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, who is willing to question the need and safety of allowing guns on college campuses and having people walking through stores and bars carrying their weapons openly. Now he’s questioning the need to expand the Stand Your Ground law.

As The Trace reported, “For the second time in a month, Diaz de la Portilla broke with his party’s traditional fealty to the NRA and single-handedly denied the organization a vote on a top legislative priority.

“The first bill he buried in late January, would have allowed concealed carry permit holders to bring their handguns onto state college campuses. The second would have granted licensed gun owners the right to openly carry their weapons in public.”

I hope Sen. Diaz de la Portilla is equally sensible when it comes to expanding Stand Your Ground.

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Sensible legislator."