TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) - A Florida House panel passed a bill Tuesday morning that would lower the minimum age to purchase long guns like rifles and shotguns from 21 to 18, despite overwhelming public comments opposing the measure.

The current age restriction was implemented after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. Gun advocates argue that age-based restrictions on gun ownership are inconsistent with other Florida laws.

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“Here in Florida, 18 to 20-year-olds can legally carry a firearm. They can even open carry a firearm. But they cannot legally purchase one,” said Jack Carrol of Gun Owners of Florida. “That means their right to self-defense exists only if someone else buys the firearm for them.”

Opponents of the

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