TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- The much-debated "take your guns to work" bill cleared a key Senate committee on Tuesday, with one opponent labeling it the "take your Uzi to work bill."

The 7-4 vote went on party lines, with Republicans rejecting amendments that were intended to stop gun owners from bringing "assault rifles" and other weapons with large magazines or clips to their jobs in their cars. The bill allows gun owners to lock guns in their vehicles, forbidding employers from banning guns on company property, Local 6 News partner Florida Today reported.

The bill has failed two years in a row but Sen. Durell Peaden, a Crestview Republican and sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, said the climate is different in this election year. He also predicted that, rather than causing tragedies or accidental shootings, his bill will prevent gun violence if criminals know someone in a workplace might have a gun nearby.

A House companion for the bill is set for debate in the full House on Wednesday.

Sen. Steve Deutch, D-Boca Raton, and other urban Democrats said they couldn't support the bill -- especially since it wasn't limited to pistols or hunting rifles or shotguns. Deutch called it the "take your Uzi to work bill."

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