Lawmakers in Florida consider tax breaks for gun manufacturers a higher priority than funding for mental health or school safety. Last year, the legislature eliminated $1.8 million from school safety programs, while Governor Rick Scott vetoed $5.7 million for mental health services. But lawmakers made sure $10"‰million in taxpayer money was available to help weapons makers, as well as Hollywood production companies and video gam ...

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Lawmakers in Florida consider tax breaks for gun manufacturers a higher priority than funding for mental health or school safety. Last year, the legislature eliminated $1.8 million from school safety programs, while Governor Rick Scott vetoed $5.7 million for mental health services. But lawmakers made sure $10"‰million in taxpayer money was available to help weapons makers, as well as Hollywood production companies and video game designers that produce violent entertainment. The state government also made it easier and cheaper to buy high-powered weapons, by cutting the cost of obtaining a weapons license by $5. Florida ranks 48th in per capita mental health funding. (Only Idaho and Texas spend less.) Some of the gun manufacturers that have benefitted from tax incentives include Colt Manufacturing Co., which enjoyed a $1.6 million deal...

Authors Bio:

OpedNews volunteer from 2005 to 2013.

Amanda Lang was a wonderful member of the Opednews team, and the first volunteer editor, for a good number of years being a senior editor. She passed away summer 2014.