TX Gov. Abbott is eying a 2024 race and he's burning the midnight oil and spending political capital on supporting Constitutional Carry and 2A Sanctuary Laws.
Here's what I handed him in letter form.
I also had a number of articles printed showing what's going on and even a copy of TX HB 112.Dear Governor:
The 2022 gubernatorial and 2024 presidential elections will be here very soon; Gun Owners of America believes
that now is the perfect time for Florida to demonstrate by example of what pro-gun Conservative leadership is.
Throughout the pandemic you demonstrated leadership, but at the same time, Florida is not leading on Second
Amendment rights.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), reports that nationally, the firearms industry represents $52.2
billion of sales and employs 300,000 individuals. Several states which are openly hostile to Second Amendment
rights have firearms manufacturers operating within their borders – these businesses are looking to relocate to a
more friendly state.
Beretta moved from Maryland to Tennessee, Kahr Arms moved from New York to Pennsylvania, Remington moved
the majority of their manufacturing from New York to North Carolina, PTR Industries moved from Connecticut to
South Carolina, Magpul moved from Colorado to Texas, Weatherby moved from California to Wyoming, and
Kimber is currently moving from New York to Alabama. These are but a few examples.
Florida should be working to attract these businesses, but the opposite happened -- had two major firearms
manufacturers left Florida. SCCY is currently relocating from Daytona Beach to Tennessee and Taurus International
Manufacturing recently moved from Miami to Bainbridge in Georgia. How many more will we lose?
Several states have just passed or are currently actively advancing Constitutional Carry and Second Amendment
sanctuary legislation. Constitutional Carry just became the law in Utah and Montana. Alabama, Tennessee, Indiana,
and Texas are currently working on their own Constitutional Carry bills. These bills aren’t just sitting in committee
– they are being actively pushed – by legislative and executive leadership.
In Texas, House Bill 112 is an example of what Florida should be striving for. It is a Constitutional Carry and Second
Amendment sanctuary bill all in one. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has publicly stated at the Texas Public Policy
Foundation’s 2021 Policy Orientation conference the following; “I want to make sure that Texas becomes a Second
Amendment sanctuary state so that no government official at any level can come and take your gun away from
you, despite those people who said, ‘Heck yes, we’re going to take your gun.”
Gov. DeSantis, you stated during the 2018 Sunshine Summit that if you were Governor at the time, you would have
vetoed SB 7026. Currently, Gov. Abbott is openly supporting extremely progressive pro-gun legislation. GOA had
an excellent relationship with you when you were in Congress and we wish to continue such a relationship.
If Florida continues to treat the Second Amendment as a second class right, we will fall further behind as a national
leader on the protection and expansion of Constitutional liberties. In addition to enacting Constitutional Carry and
Second Amendment sanctuary bills, these states also allow “open carry”. Florida is stuck in the past and we don’t
even allow open carry even though we are referred to as the “gunshine state”. We are expecting you to use the
powers of your office to advance true pro-Second Amendment bills in Florida. Florida is a Republican
supermajority state but that super majority appears ignorant of the party’s principles. Gun owners are frustrated,
angry and disappointed. I’m sure that you don’t gun owners to start looking for third party alternative candidates.
