TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – South Florida students lobbying lawmakers for a ban on assault rifles after a school shooting that left 17 dead found Tuesday that it isn’t easy changing the minds of Republicans who have for decades fought to expand gun rights, rather than restrict them.

Students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and other Broward County schools spent the day meeting with legislators and other leaders in the state Capitol less than a week after a former student was accused of carrying out the deadly attack in Parkland.

But the House refused to hear a bill that would ban assault rifles and they found Republicans largely steering the conversation to other issues, like hardening school security and better screening for people with mental health issues.

“A lot of people are refusing to answer questions. I got a lot of ‘I’ll get back to you’” said Rachel Catania, a 15-year-old sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas. “They’re typical politicians, so they’ve all been kind of same, where they try to avoid the question, and we want an answer.”

Students were visibly upset when the House refused to consider a bill to ban assault rifles.