Andrew Goren remembers teaching Alyssa Alhadeff to roller skate during the summer of 2017 at camp.
A year and a half later, Goren (Impact, District B) sat before the UF Senate Judiciary Committee to present a resolution, a non-binding statement of agreement, commemorating Alhadeff and the 16 other victims of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last year on Feb. 14.
The Senate Judiciary Committee met for two and a half hours Sunday morning in the Reitz Union to verify the constitutionality of legislation before it is voted on in the Senate.
Eight resolutions were passed including the Marjory Stoneman Douglas resolution, and four pieces of legislation were tabled.
Goren, who co-wrote the resolution with allocations chairwoman Katelyn Hernandez (Impact, District A), said while he knew Alhadeff personally, the resolution recognizes all of the victims and identifies mental health as a key issue.
Goren said he wrote the resolution to show support for movements like March for Our Lives, which hope to end gun violence.
“It’s going to happen again. It already has,” he said.
The committee also passed resolutions that supports faculty on strike at Wright State University, renters’ rights, textbook affordability, Black History month, those affected by the polar vortex, legislation banning distracted driving and financial aid for DACA students.
Dylan Santalo, the chairman of Chomp the Vote, said UF students have met with both Republican and Democrat leaders in Florida leadership to pass legislation granting financial aid to undocumented students.
“It’s a student issue. Not a partisan issue,” Santalo said.
