URGENT ALERT: ASK GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT TO SIGN SB-234!
URGENT ALERT : ASK GOVERNOR RICK SCOTT TO SIGN SB-234 !
SB-234 NEEDS TO BE SIGNED
DATE: June 8, 2011
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President
Governor Rick Scott received SB-234 Concealed Weapons today.
The bill Includes:
** Concealed Weapons & Firearms License Holders Open-Carry Protection
** Concealed Weapons & Firearms License Holders Guns-In-Vehicles Rights
** Purchase of Long Guns in other states
SB-234 by Sen. Greg Evers (R) & Rep. Chris Dorworth (R) makes much needed changes to the “Right-to-Carry” law — also known as the Concealed Weapons Licensing law. It also makes changes to firearms purchase law to conform to federal law.
The bill basically does three (3) following things:
1. Provides protection for concealed weapons license holders to prevent license holders from being charged with the crime of violating the “Open Carry” law because a concealed firearm accidentally or inadvertently became visible.
2. Provides that concealed weapons license holders may store a firearm in private vehicle anywhere the vehicle is lawfully parked except those places that are exempted under s. 790.251(7) — the parking lot law.
3. Removes the obsolete firearms purchase in contiguous state law previously required by federal law for out of state purchases of long guns and replaces it with language to conform to current federal requirements that allows purchase of long guns in other states.
Please email Governor Scott right away and urge him to sign SB-234
IN THE SUBJECT LINE PUT: Protect Gun Rights – PLEASE SIGN SB-234
rick.scott@eog.myflorida.com
PLEASE EMAIL GOVERNOR SCOTT TODAY
BACKGROUND ON SB-234
OPEN CARRY:
# 1. The open carry provision addresses the problem of accidental or unintentional exposure of a firearm being carried by license holder. As silly as it may sound, if a license holder is carrying a concealed firearm and the wind blows a jacket or shirt open exposing the firearm, the person can be charged with a crime for violating the open carry law.
Anytime a license holder accidentally or unintentionally exposes the firearm whether reaching for something on a top shelf or bending over to pick up something, he/she can be charged with a crime. If a person wants to take a coat or jacket off before getting into a car or get out of a car before putting on a jacket or coat — and the gun is exposed — the possibility of being charged with a crime exists. This bill fixes that problem.
FIREARMS CARRY IN A VEHICLE:
#2. The bill simply says that if a person has a carry license, nothing shall prohibit the carry or storage of a firearm in a vehicle — except the exemptions in the parking lot law.
A case last summer highlighted the need. A cemetery arbitrarily banned guns on cemetery property. A father who has a license to carry had already buried his son in that cemetery. He always carries a gun in his truck and frequently visits his son’s grave. The father was presented with 3 choices. (a) Quit carrying a gun in his vehicle; (b) Risk being charged with a felony for trespass with a firearm; or (c) Move his son’s body to another cemetery. I submit that those choices are outrageous. This fixes that outrageous denial of Second Amendment rights.
REPEAL OF CONTIGUOUS STATE LANGUAGE:
#3. The bill repeals s. 790.28 which is the provision that allows purchase of rifles and shotguns in contiguous states.
In 1979 s. 790.28 was passed to conform to federal law. At the time, Federal law required the contiguous state language to be passed in order for residents to be able to exercise their right to purchase long guns in adjoining states.
Federal law has now changed to allow purchase of long guns in any other state. However, In order for Florida residents to be able to exercise those rights, s. 790.28 must be repealed and new conforming language added to our statutes. This bill does that.