Florida gun laws might be taking a new dimension as Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis shows interest in signing new legislation allowing citizens of the state to carry concealed guns. Gun laws in America have been a huge topic for debate among state officials and the federal government. There have been cases when people came to school and other public places to shoot and kill people. The most recent happening is the shooting that happened in Nashville, Tennessee.
Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill that will allow citizens of the state to carry loaded concealed guns in public places. The bill, although passed by the legislature, has the backing of the state governor Ron DeSantis. With the new bill, the existing protocol for carrying firearms in Florida would be scrapped. It would allow citizens and even non-citizens who meet the requirements to carry firearms without needing an extra layer of background checks, licensing, or even firearm training. The new Florida open carry law came when a recent shooting claimed the life of two nine-year-olds in the state.
What is the New Bill About?
Under the new Florida open carry law, citizens and even non-citizens who meet the requirements would be allowed to carry rifles and other firearms without needing an extra layer of checks by the authorities. This is a move by the state government to ensure citizens protect themselves in the event of mass shootings. However, the new bill states that those who were banned from using firearms before the new law will not still be allowed to do so.
Those who proposed and supported the bill are mainly Republican senators with the backing of the state governor. Those who proposed and supported this bill are "Judiciary Committee and Brannan and Payne (CO-SPONSORS) Anderson; Andrade; Bankson; Barnaby; Black; Brackett; Buchanan; Duggan; Fine; Giallombardo; Gregory; Holcomb; Maggard; Massullo; Melo; Overdorf; Plakon; Rommel; Roth; Salzman; Sirois; Temple; Tramont; Yeager."
The bill category is on public safety, and it would allow a person "to carry concealed weapon or firearm if he or she is licensed to do so or meets specified requirements; requires person who is carrying concealed weapon or firearm without license to carry identification & display upon demand by law enforcement; prohibits person who is carrying concealed weapon or firearm without license from carrying such weapon or firearm in specified locations; authorizes nonresident to carry concealed weapon or firearm in this state if he or she meets same requirements as resident; requires Office of Safe Schools to develop behavioral threat management operational process." The bill would be effective from the 1st of July, 2023.
Reactions From the Opposition
The opposition to the Florida legislation is Democrats, and they have been hitting out on the Republicans for the new law. According to most of them, the Republican senators were implementing the ideas of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
"Florida Republicans have delivered exactly what Ron DeSantis asked for in his shameless effort to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base," state Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said in a statement.
However, Gov. Ron DeSantis, in his State of the State address to the Legislature this month, said," A constitutional right should not require a permission slip from the government. It is time we joined 25 other states to enact constitutional carry in the state of Florida."