The Senate rejected proposed changes to the "stand your ground" law that would have prevented people who start an altercation or seek revenge from using it as a defense.
Democratic Sen. Chris Smith of Fort Lauderdale tried amending another gun bill Thursday to include the changes.
Smith pointed at the Trayvon Martin case, a Tampa-area movie theater shooting and a Jacksonville case where a man fatally shot a teenager after an argument over loud music.
He said after each event, lawmakers said it wasn't their intention for "stand your ground" to be used in cases like that. He said the proposed amendment would have cleared up the intention behind the law that allows people who feel threatened to respond with deadly force.
It failed on a 13-24 vote.
