Governors skeptical of Congress, but welcome new gun debate

WASHINGTON (AP) - Governors say the debate over gun control has changed after the Florida school shooting - a shift helped driven by public outrage and student activists.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee puts it this way: "There's no question we're in a different environment."

But governors are skeptical that Congress can seize the moment, overcome its partisan divide and enact new gun restrictions. So governors are preparing to take the lead and have states push ahead.

The recent shooting in Parkland, Florida, is drawing much of the attention at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. And school safety and gun violence are expected to dominate the governors' discussions Monday with President Donald Trump at the White House.