The Florida Legislature proposes a bill to reaffirm their commitment to the Second Amendment of the Constitution. The Republican House Speaker Paul Renner recently said in an interview, “Floridians shouldn’t need a government permission slip to exercise their constitutional rights.”
With Republican support in the Florida Legislature, HB 543 if passed would allow Floridians to conceal a firearm or weapon without a need for a permit as long as all other Florida laws are followed.
On Monday, Speaker Renner said, “House Bill 543 will ensure Florida will remain a beacon of freedom. Florida was the pioneer in the modern carry movement in America and this historic legislation continues our proud tradition,”
In the upcoming Legislative session, many measures will include firearm provisions, “not only to go after gun crime, people that are stealing guns out of cars…but also to continue to expand the rights for law-abiding citizens.”
If the proposed law passes, Florida would join 25 other states who have constitutional carry laws, however Florida would not completely allow for permit-less open carry.
The Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey represented law enforcement to help propose the new law and he described “It’s about time. Florida is taking this huge step and what we’re doing is checking off the box again and showing that Florida is the freedom state, and showing that citizens have the right to protect themselves.”
“This bill gives our citizens the ability to exercise their Second Amendment, to protect themselves, their family, those around them in church, those around them at the movie theater, or anywhere they may become the victim of a violent attack,” he said.
A Former Law Enforcement Officer and U.S. Navy veteran, Donna Michaels, also helped create the law talking about her story and very personal experience as a rape victim. “I do not have the luxury of blissful ignorance when it comes to what goes on in the real world. I am cursed with the knowledge of how many evil hearts walk among us every single day looking for their next easy target,” she said. “This is exactly why we need to pass constitutional carry bill, so that our sons and daughters have the ability to protect themselves from evil and level the playing field with a gun, and preserving the life and happiness they deserve.”
Governor Ron DeSantis has not made an official comment on the proposed bill but has voiced his favor for such a bill to passed months before where he said, “what you don’t want is to have a gun government bureaucrat stymie your ability to exercise your constitutional rights.”