Controversial Florida Gun Bill Successfully Killed

Posted by James Charles / May 7, 2014

Controversial Florida gun bill gets shot down by political opponents

NRA-Backed Legislation Fails to Pass
Florida – After a long and grueling struggle, a controversial piece of Florida gun legislation has been shot down by its opponents. Backed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), SB-296/HB-209 would have allowed citizens to carry their legally-owned firearms with them when under a mandatory evacuation during a declared state of emergency without a concealed-carry permit.
Shortly after the bill was first proposed, opponents began criticizing it because a declared state of emergency can include something like a hurricane, and a concealed weapon would not be useful in that kind of situation. Another major argument of some opponents was safety. In fact, the Florida Sheriff’s Association aided the fight to stop the bill for that very reason. This took a lot of gun-rights supporters by surprise, considering that in 2013 the FSA made a public proclamation to support the 2^nd Amendment.
How Could it Have Helped?
Supporters of the bill, including Florida Senator Jeff Brandes (R-Petersburg) who sponsored it, maintain that would have been effective in allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves in crisis situations. In March, Sen. Brandes told The Huffington Post:

 “When citizens are evacuating under a mandatory order and they grab whatever they can, I believe they have enough to worry about without having to cross-check themselves to be certain they’re in technical compliance with concealed-carry transport laws. This legislation reaffirms that Floridians who can lawfully own a weapon are able to possess that weapon to protect themselves and their families in the chaos of a disaster, when law enforcement may be overwhelmed and unavailable to immediately come to their assistance.”

Legislation Killed on Senate Floor