FL: This Senator Holds the Key to Open Carry and Campus Carry in Florida this Year

Gun Watch ^ | 16 January, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The immediate fate of the open carry and campus carry bills in Florida rest in the hands of the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami.  From bizjournals.com:

But the chances might be better that the Senate Judiciary Committee will look at allowing Floridians to openly carry sidearms than moving forward with another proposal that would allow guns on state university and college campuses.

Judiciary Chairman Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, said he and committee staff members continue to review the high-profile proposals, which would apply to people who have concealed-weapons licenses.

The Senate President, Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, has asked Portilla to move expeditiously.  The Florida Police Chiefs Association seems to be on board, with minor reservations, and the Sheriff's Association has been against the proposal, with some Sheriff's supporting it.

Most of the opposition seems to come from people crying "blood in the streets", though they have a difficult time explaining why it has not happened in 45 other states.

In spite of the false hypotheticals created by those who wish the population disarmed, more guns have meant less crime.  An impressive statistic cited in a Florida article about open carry is that legal gun carriers are six times as law abiding as police officers.  Wow.  Most of the advantages of police officer for stopping violent crime, none of the disadvantages of police officers for acting as revenue agents for the state on victimless activities. From yourobserver.com:

Consider, too, these facts, courtesy of Rep. Steube: "After 28 years of data in Florida, licensed conceal-permit holders are six times less likely to commit a crime than law enforcement officers. Specifically, permit holders only commit misdemeanors and felonies at a rate of .0002% annually."

This looks to be an eventful year for advancing Second Amendment rights in Florida.  A presidential election means all officials will be looked at more closely.  When that happens, Second Amendment supporters win.

©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.
Link to Gun Watch

[marktwain]

Open carry looks to have a good chance this year, if Senator Portillo lets it out of committee.

[Bryanw92]

Keep open carry and campus carry separate! I don’t want open carry to be derailed by a lot of emotional BS like, “they want to make children carry guns at school”.

[Sasparilla]

...blood in the streets”, though they have a difficult time explaining why it has not happened in 45 other states...

Anti gun forces tried the blood in the streets, shootout at every fender bender lie in every state when concealed carry laws were being considered. It didn’t work then. It won’t work now.