FL Dems Launch Billboards Highlighting Scott’s Record Opposing Gun Safety

Billboards in Orlando, Tallahassee read:

612 DAYS BETWEEN PULSE & PARKLAND.

RICK SCOTT DID NOTHING.

–The Sun Sentinel

Today the Florida Democratic Party is launching two digital billboards in Orlando and Tallahassee highlighting Rick Scott’s long record of opposing common sense gun safety measures and putting his own self-serving politics over Floridians’ safety.

The billboards feature the following message: 

612 DAYS BETWEEN PULSE & PARKLAND.

RICK SCOTT DID NOTHING.

–The Sun Sentinel

“Rick Scott’s long record of opposing common sense gun safety measures shows exactly who he is: a self-serving politician who says one thing and does the opposite — while Floridians pay the price,” said Florida Democratic Party Executive Director Juan Penalosa. “He broke his promise and did nothing to make Floridians safer from gun violence after the Pulse tragedy because he was more concerned about looking out for his political interests and the agenda of his gun lobby backers. Now he’s ignoring the clear calls from Parkland students and gun safety advocates by refusing to back an assault weapons ban.“ 

As detailed in a recent Sun Sentinel editorial, “after Sandy Hook, Pulse, the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting or any other mass shooting, Scott did nothing on guns or school safety.” Scott has also barred doctors from asking patients about whether they have access to firearms, restricted local communities from passing stricter gun safety regulations, and slashed funding for mental health and school safety programs while giving taxpayer funded incentives to assault weapons producers. His most recent proposal has been called “woefully inadequate” by gun safety advocates and ignores the Parkland student’s demand for an assault weapons ban.

In the wake of the Parkland shooting, survivors of the Pulse tragedy have spoken out against Scott, highlighting how he broke his promises and prioritized his own self-serving politics over implementing common sense gun safety initiatives. Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf wrote in the Orlando Sentinel that “folks like Gov. Rick Scott…have chosen to bankroll their campaigns rather than do their job,” and Equality Florida Senior Political Advisor Joe Saunders stated the promises Scott made after Pulse“ were unequivocally broken.”

The Orlando billboard will be at East Colonial Drive, 6139 E. Colonial Dr. Orlando, FL, and begins airing on Friday. The Tallahassee billboard will be at Magnolia and Mahan Drive and begins airing on Sunday.