Kick Florida Senate President Simpson (Lukewarm 2A supporter) Upstairs?

AmmoLand ^ | March 29, 2022 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Republican Senator Wilton Simpson is the current state Senate President in Florida.  He is running to become the Agricultural Commissioner, who administers the Concealed Weapons Permit system.

Marion Hammer excoriated Simpson and 16 other Republicans when he helped pass a major gun control bill in Florida, in a knee-jerk response to the mass murder at Marjorie-Stoneman high school. The mass murder highlighted major failures of the school administration and the Obama administration.

Simpson was one of 17 Republicans who were targeted by Hammer in a memo dated April 18, 2018, to the United Sportsmen of Florida, which is an NRA affiliate (USF-NRA).

Simpson, at the time, had an A+ rating by the NRA. It appears the bill, SB-7026, was supposed to fail; Republican Senator Doug Broxson, of Pensacola, switched his vote at the last minute. From the Marion Hammer memo:

SEN. DOUG BROXSON (R) Pensacola: North Florida Sen. Doug Broxson was the linchpin. When he pulled his support for the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding gun owners he became responsible for passage of the “gun control bill.”  If Doug Broxson had kept his word, the bill would have been killed in the Senate and Senate leadership would have had to start over and bring back a true school safety bill without the gun control provisions. But at the last minute, Broxson caved to threats and promises from Senate leadership and switched his vote and sold you out.  

Simpson has had a mixed record as a supporter of Second Amendment rights. He has not vigorously supported either open carry bills or Constitutional Carry bills in Florida. He has been helpful in stopping many bills designed to weaken and restrict Second Amendment rights in Florida. Open carry or Constitutional Carry requires vigorous support of Republican party leadership

[marktwain]

Wilton Simpson switched his district from 18 to 10 in 2016, which is likely how he can stay in the Senate for 12 years rather than 8, which is the normal term limit in Florida. His largest campaign contribution came from Disney in 2016. Not a great endorsement for a "conservative" legislator.

[Joe Brower]

On now on the subject of 2nd Amendment rights... When Marion Hammer speaks, people listen.

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

[Red Badger]

Kick Florida Senate President Simpson ..................

Stopped reading right there.

It sounded too good to go on.................

[George from New England]

Simpson made a personal fortune on the backs of Dade City residents.
He bought up alot of pasture land 5 years ago, knowing that the utility: teco was planning on saturating the hillside with a solar farm. Then he flipped it at great personal profit. Eye sore and curse on the highest elevations in Florida. Killed all the scenic value of ‘Mountain View’ area of Dade City.

[rarestia]

I’m very frustrated with our legislature’s refusal to take up constitutional carry. It’s spreading like wildfire across the nation, but we’re stuck with old law that prohibits open carry except to and from outdoor activities such as fishing and hunting. This needs to change.

[clintonh8r]

Does Simpson have a primary opponent?

[marktwain]

Simpson is running for agricultural Commissioner. The AG Commissioner is a plum job, paying about $129,000 a year, which controls the Florida Concealed Carry permit system.

Simpson has an Republican opponent in the AG race, James Shaw.

Simpson has $6,283,250 in his warchest compared to $20,000 in Shaw's.
There is also the Democrat Candidate, Ryan Morales, who has $4,100.

It appears it is Simpson's to lose.

[clintonh8r]

Thanks. I live in Florida and realize that Sec AG is a very powerful job, much more than most voters realize as demonstrated by the election of Nikki Fried. At least we’ll be rid of her, maybe for good.