College of Business poll finds Floridians want stricter gun laws

The majority supported universal background checks.

College+of+Business+poll+finds+Floridians+want+stricter+gun+laws

Alexander Rodriguez, News Editor

Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Floridians want more gun control.

 

The findings come from a College of Business poll conducted a week after the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting.

 

The Business & Economics Polling Initiative (BEPI) found that 70 percent of Florida voters want stricter gun policies compared to 11 percent who said they want fewer restrictions. The other 19 percent want policies to remain the same.

 

On top of this, 56 percent oppose the idea of arming teachers with 31 percent in support.

 

As a response to the shooting, the Florida Senate and the House of Representatives passed a bill this week that aims to arm teachers, restrict gun sale laws, and provide additional funding for mental health resources.

 

While 39 percent of Floridians say accessibility to guns is a major contributor to gun violence, 24 percent of voters believe it’s a lack of mental healthcare, and 18 percent say it’s due to violent TV and video games.

 

Some of the poll’s other findings…

 

  • 87 percent support universal background checks for anyone purchasing a gun, while 6 percent disagree
  • 78 percent support raising the minimum age from 18 to 21 to purchase a firearm, while 11 percent disagree
  • 69 percent support banning “assault-style” weapons (like the AR-15 used by the Parkland shooter), while 23 percent disagree

 

The poll surveyed 800 people in the state of Florida from Feb. 23-25.

 

The University Press reached out to the director of the poll, Monica Escaleras, twice for comment on the survey’s results via email, but did not receive a response as of publication time.

Alexander Rodriguez is the news editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet @AARodriguezz9