A change is finally coming.
Thanks to petitions, protests and sit-ins staged at the governor’s office by the Dream Defenders, the controversial and dangerous “Stand Your Ground” law is about to get a makeover.
On Tuesday, state lawmakers began the task of considering modifications to the law, which offers wide discretion in the use of deadly force by civilians.
According to MSNBC:
The Florida Senate Judiciary committee voted 7-2 to pass a measure that would better define neighborhood watch operations, the immunity available to those who provoke deadly confrontations, and the authority of law enforcement to investigate self-defense claims.
“It is a major step that it’s even being discussed and voted on,” Sen. Chris Smith, a Democrat from Ft. Lauderdale who co-sponsored the bill, told MSNBC. “With bipartisan support, this is the first acknowledgement that there are problems with the law and that there are things that can be fixed.”
But Tuesday’s committee hearing was just the first step.
The bill, which merged two different bills, one sponsored by Smith and the other sponsored by Republican Sen. David Simmons, still must pass through three more committees before making its way to the House floor for debate.
“There are a lot of changes that as a whole would make the law better,” Smith said. “If we’re going to keep it, we have to make it better.”
Smith said, for example, that the law needs to be more explicit in defining what an “aggressor” is and what “unlawful activity” is.
Because opposition in the Republican-controlled House and Senate is still as strong as ever, this won’t be an easy journey.
We’ll still be along for the ride.
SOURCE: MSNBC | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
