SARASOTA, Fla. -- A U.S. Senator from Florida says all airport workers should be required to go through a tougher screening process in this age of terrorism.
Senator Bill Nelson points to reports that an Egyptian airport worker may have planted the bomb that caused a Russian aircraft to crash killing all 224 people on board.
Big changes that would dramatically increase screenings of all airport workers are a step closer to becoming reality.
"We take the safety and the security issues very, very seriously," said Rick Piccolo, CEO of Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, "and we want our passengers to have an enjoyable experience, but also a very safe and secure experience."
Some of the big changes being proposed by Senator Nelson include allowing the Transportation Security Administration to conduct more thorough background checks of all airport employees, also a continuous criminal check of workers through the FBI database would be implemented.
"The world is changing and we need to adjust quickly and nimbly to adjust to the changing threat levels," said Piccolo.
Many people we talked with at the airport in Sarasota are all for this including Denise Stromdahl who was visiting the area from Pennsylvania.
"I think that's a good idea," said Stromdahl, "I think they should go through the same screening as we do."
Matt Fintak is here from Buffalo, he tells us that anything that prtotects him and his family is something he backs 100 percent.
"Considering all the things going on in today's day and age, anything that will prevent terrorism or an act of terrorism is all good," said Fintak.
This bill now heads to the Senate Commerce Committee.
