Less than a week after the devastating shooting at a Parkland, Florida high school left 17 people dead, Florida lawmakers rejected an attempt to discuss a ban on assault weapons. The Florida House voted 36-71 on Tuesday (20 February) against a motion to consider the bill that would have banned the sale or possession of automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines such as the AR-15 assault rifle used by the gunman who opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day.

The shooter was later identified as 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz.

The tragic incident triggered widespread calls for action on gun control with many student survivors of the Parkland shooting pushing lawmakers and the White House for tougher gun legislation.

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As the Florida House voted against considering the bill, many students from the school looked on from the gallery and broke into tears after the vote, Local10 News reported.

The vote against bringing the bill to the House floor also happened to come the same day Florida lawmakers voted for legislation that declared pornography a "public health threat". The resolution states "a need for education, research and policy changes to protect Floridians, especially teenagers, from pornography," the Associated Press reports.

Republican Representative Ross Spano, who sponsored the pornography bill, said there is research demonstrating the harmful mental and physical side effects of porn. There is currently no conclusive research evidence on the subject. Spano is running to become the state's attorney general.

Many social media users were left livid after the vote questioning how and why Florida lawmakers would declare pornography a health risk but refuse to even discuss a ban on assault weapons just days after the tragic shooting that took place in their state.

"So The Florida House really just declared porn is a health risk, yet assault rifles no biggie. Nudity and sex is bad for you, but bullets are totes fine. Thanks Florida," one person tweeted.

"Wrong magazines, Florida House," another user chimed.

"Porn does not land you in a grave," someone wrote. "My heart is broken for our future leaders--these precious children who have endured the unimaginable."

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Florida lawmakers voted down to discuss a ban on the sale or possession of assault rifles the same day they declared pornography a health risk George Frey/Getty Images
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