Florida’s ‘Permitless Carry’ would allow people who carry concealed weapons to forego a license or training course.
Two days after the 130th mass shooting this year, this time at a school in Nashville, The Florida Senate moved one step closer to bringing a “permitless” gun bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk Wednesday by moving the bill to a final vote in the upcoming days.
Currently residents of Florida who want to carry a concealed weapon are required to obtain a permit through that requires paying a $97 fee, providing fingerprints, getting an additional background check, and taking a gun safety course.
The bill excludes carrying a concealed weapon into any ‘gun exclusion zones’, such as the legislature.
Though this might seem a step toward more gun freedom, some gun rights advocates say it is a ‘bait and switch’ because it leaves the state’s ban on openly carried firearms untouched while allowing concealed carry without a license.
State Senator Jason Pizzo (FL-38) said, “When this bill passes, and it will, there will be additional guns in Publix where my wife and kids are.”
Republicans who have been pushing the bill say that people who want to go through the state and get a license will still be allowed to do so, but they will no longer need a “permission slip” from the government.
Luis Valdes, the Florida state director with Gun Owners of America, said, “Florida Republicans have shown a bit of hypocrisy when it comes to the Second Amendment… that gun owners wanted more from the establishment, and Senator Collins said the bill is narrowly focused on one specific issue, and that was all he was willing to discuss. We’re not happy.”
About the writer: Matthew Woodruff is an Independent Journalist and Author who believes in Freely Accessible, Honest and Open Reporting. Visit at MattWoodruffAuthor.com.
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