Open & Campus Carry Bill filed as of Jan 9 at 8:54am

[Miami_JBT]

Made the news today in four separate stories.

Residents across the state have complained for years about errantly fired bullets from home shooting ranges striking them, their family members, belongings or pets. But they already have legal recourse, according to Luis Valdes, Florida State Director for Gun Owners of America.

Speaking to the panel Tuesday, Valdes pointed to Florida's "deadly missile" statute, which provides that any person who "wantonly or maliciously" shoots into a building, vehicle or aircraft is guilty of a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

"We already have laws on the books," he said. "Adding more to it and simply outlawing the ability for people who use their property in a safe and responsible manner is a violation of our rights."

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/65 ... nate-stop/

But Second Amendment supporters insisted that it was unfair to penalize young people from being able to purchase a gun when they're allowed to perform other duties that require maturity.

"Floridians under the age of 21 can be law enforcement officers at 19," said Luis Valdes with Gun Owners of America. "They can enlist in the military. They can even run for offices as lawmakers to make laws. The fact that the state has determined they don't have the mental capacity to own a firearm is ludicrous, when we entrust them with the very authority to carry a firearm and enforce that very law."

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/01/30/p ... a-firearm/

It should be noted, however, that there are some bills that would expand the rights of gun owners in Florida that have also stalled in the first part of the 2024 Florida legislative session.

One is a bill (HB 1619) by Hillsborough County Republican Rep. Mike Beltran that would allow people to openly carry firearms in Florida. The measure would also allow lawmakers to carry concealed guns to legislative meetings and in the state Capitol building. House and Senate GOP leaders have not shown any enthusiasm about scheduling the bill, but Second Amendment groups are pressing Gov. Ron DeSantis to back what is known simply as "open carry."

The state chapter of Gun Owners of America sent an email to its followers this week, calling on them to press DeSantis to endorse the proposal.

"Florida's gun owners are not fools and we don't become easily tamed with cheap table scraps thrown our way. We demand a full restoration of our rights," reads a section of the letter penned by Luis Valdes, the Florida state director of Gun Owners of America.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/01/26/f ... gislature/

Gun rights activists, though, said the bill merely affirms the rights of young adults, who can join the military and become a police officer, to own long guns. "The fact that the state of Florida has determined that they don't have the mental capacity to own a firearm is ludicrous," said Luis Valdes, Florida state director of Gun Owners of America.

https://floridapolitics.com/archives/65 ... use-panel/

[George W]

Feel free to tag FSN on X with updates. https://twitter.com/floridashooters

[tector]

Any developments of note?

[Miami_JBT]

Any developments of note?

Pretty much everything is dead bill wise. I'm hammering the Republican Legislature and the Governor.

[tector]

Any developments of note?

Pretty much everything is dead bill wise. I'm hammering the Republican Legislature and the Governor.

Well, thanks for trying.

[TACC]

Yes keep hammering, continue the good fight.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Miami_JBT]

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/19/c ... wind-down/

Republicans in both chambers of the Legislature this year introduced proposals to repeal certain provisions of 2018’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act. Those provisions came out of the Feb. 14, 2018 Parkland school shooting that killed 17 students and staff.

There’s HB 1223, which would lower the age to buy a long gun in Florida from 21 to 18. As was the case in the 2023 session, the House bill is moving, but it’s not going anywhere near Gov. Ron DeSantis, who would have to sign such a law. There is no Senate version.

Another GOP gun repeal measure also looks doubtful. The proposal (HB 17) would require the mandatory waiting period for all firearm purchases to expire after 3 days, regardless of whether a background check has been completed. This measure has support in the House, and DeSantis told CNN last month while on the presidential campaign trail that, “I think the background checks should be instant.” (The governor has suspended his presidential campaign.)

However, the Senate version has not been pursuing the measure. And Second Amendment advocates are not at all pleased by the developments.

“You have a Republican House Speaker state that he and his Republican colleagues don’t have an ‘appetite’ to debate and vote on open carry. You have a Republican Senate President state that repealing the under-21 purchase ban is a ‘non-starter’ Yet both have the nerve to campaign that they’re pro-gun,” says Luis Valdes, Florida state director of Gun Owners of America (GOA).

Valdes and other Second Amendment aficionados are also steamed at DeSantis for failing to push for an open carry law which he said he supported a year ago. That measure (HB 1619) was introduced at the beginning of the 2024 session by Hillsborough GOP Rep. Mike Beltran but was immediately dismissed by Republican leadership last month.

“GOA got him on record where he said he ‘absolutely’ supports open carry,” Valdes says. “Well, actions speak louder than words and the governor’s inaction is deafening.”

[Miami_JBT]

Latest GOA Alert on what's happening legislatively in FL.

https://www.gunowners.org/fl2202024/

[Miami_JBT]

https://thecapitolist.com/house-judicia ... rules/amp/



https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/21/m ... ida-house/

[FfNJGTFO]

https://thecapitolist.com/house-judicia ... rules/amp/



https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/02/21/m ... ida-house/

Be ready to counter the argument that, "Not everything is doable at 18." You can't drink or buy alcoholic beverages at 18, you can't have a medical/dental license at 18, etc. etc. etc. Personally, I don't have a problem with 18+ folks owning guns and I thought it weird that there was that restriction. Even in the PRNJ, the restriction applied only to handguns when I was living there (maybe it's changed, now, dunno). But I'm sure the antis will counter with the "maturity" argument. Yes the person is of "legal age," but are they mature enough at that age to do everything?