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Lawmakers Postpone Vote On School Gun Bill

TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) - The Florida Legislature has postponed a vote on a gun bill that would have allowed guns to be carried on the campuses of colleges, universities, and public and private schools.

According to the News Service of Florida, the move to postpone the vote came after heart-wrenching testimony from Robert Cowie. He lost his daughter during an accidental shooting at Florida State University.

Gun groups like the NRA say the bill would help stop school shootings if other students are armed. But Cowie said putting guns in an area where drugs and alcohol are commonly used is too dangerous.

Every police department chief in the 11-member Florida university system are solidly against lifting the ban in the state of Florida.

A few states, like Texas, have considered letting college students and university staff carry guns. The idea was brought to the forefront by the mass murders at Virginia Tech University in 2007 and Northern Illinois University in 2008.

Governor Rick Scott said he is in favor of the bill and believes the Second Amendment is a "fundamental right."

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