FILE- In this Feb. 27, 2018 file photo, Florida Gov. Rick Scott talks alongside Andrew Pollack, right, whose daughter Meadow was murdered in Parkland during press conference at Miami-Dade Police Department in Doral, Fla. The mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has put guns at the forefront, for now, in the U.S. Senate campaign in Florida. Republican Gov. Rick Scott, is expected to mount a campaign to oust incumbent Democrat U.S. Bill Nelson from his Senate. (C.M. Guerrero/Miami Herald via AP, File)
March 05, 2018 - 7:50 AM
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida Gov. Rick Scott is embroiled in an escalating debate with U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson ahead of an expected clash in the 2018 elections.
Scott has not yet announced he will challenge the Democratic incumbent, but the two have sharply criticized each other in the aftermath of the shootings at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed.
Nelson has called Scott's gun proposals "weak" and says he supports universal background checks for gun purchases and banning types of assault rifles.
Scott says Nelson has accomplished "nothing" on gun control during his time in office. The governor has proposed hiring armed school resource officers and raising the minimum age for gun purchases.
Recent polls have shown a majority of Florida voters back Nelson's position on guns.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018