Permitless Carry – Protestors rallying for gun control – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Heidi Besen
A bill allowing gun owners to carry a concealed weapon without state permission was approved by lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives on Friday.
Following passing the bill by a vote of 76-32, HB-543 will now proceed to the Senate for a final floor vote before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis approves it.
Gun carriers must still apply for a license to carry a concealed firearm notwithstanding Florida’s lack of a permit requirement, which at the moment entails certain background checks and training.
The fact that there are still regulations governing the acquisition of firearms, the deletion of concealed carry permits also means the end of the associated basic safety training.
Conservatives like Rep. John Snyder have claimed that licenses and adequate weapons training will not reduce gun crime.
According to Snyder, the proposed bill would give Floridians the freedom to defend themselves without governmental approval.
“I trust the people of the great state of Florida a whole lot more than I trust the government,” he said.
Nevertheless, a 2022 study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that states with laxer gun permit regulations saw an increase in firearm assaults.
On March 11, the parents of the Parkland shooting victims met with former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in an effort to enact legislation that would prohibit gun owners from carrying weapons without a license.
The purpose of the gathering was to halt legislation that participants believe will only result in future shootings and to pay tribute to the victims killed in the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School five years ago.
The measures done to ensure school safety, according to parents like Anthony Montalto, whose daughter Gina Montalto was killed in the massacre, are now in jeopardy due to the proposed permitless carry bill.
“I feel that this current bill will retract some of that and we will have more families joining this terrible club that my wife, myself, and the other families here today find ourselves in,” he said.
The bill will now proceed to the Senate for discussion and voting which may happen as early as next week.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
