Florida Report On Senate Bill 1130 – Ready For Final Senate Floor Debate Now

Report On Senate Bill 1130 – Ready For Final Senate Floor Debate Now

REPORT on Senate Floor Action on SB-1130 - Guns-Locked-In-Cars

Date:       April 4, 2008
TO:          USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM:     Marion P. Hammer
               USF Executive Director
               NRA Past President

Senate Bill 1130 by Senator Durell Peaden (R-Crestview) was heard on second reading on the SENATE FLOOR, yesterday, Thursday, April 3rd. 

First reading is when the bill is formally introduced. Second reading means the bill has passed all committees in the Senate and is now ready to be brought up on the Floor for questions and the amendment process.  Third reading is when the bill is allowed to come back to the Floor for debate and final action.

On second reading of SB1130, anti-gun Senators filed 15 amendments for anti-gun business groups in an effort to gut or derail the bill. 

Some amendments were designed to:

~~ ban so-called "assault weapons" (semiautomatic firearms) from cars in parking lots;

~~ ban guns in any parking lot used by pharmacies or stores that sell "controlled substances" like prescription medication, cough syrup, allergy pills, etc.;

~~ ban guns in cars at gas stations;

~~ ban guns in cars in parking lots of any property where electricity could be generated -- like emergency power/back-up generators (that all shopping centers, stores and large building and facilities have)  solar power panels, windmills, etc..

ALL OF THE ANTI-GUN AMENDMENTS WERE EITHER DEFEATED OUTRIGHT OR WITHDRAWN.

The Senate then adopted amendments to conform SB 1130 to HB 503 and put the bill in position for debate and final passage when the Senate next meets in session -- currently scheduled for next Wednesday, April 9th.

YOUR EMAILS MAKE A DIFFERENCE! 

CONTINUE to email to ALL members of the Senate. This time URGE THEM TO PASS HB-503 AND SEND IT TO THE GOVERNOR. 

Below is a list of the email addresses of those you need to contact

IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL PUT:

PLEASE SUPPORT HB-503 the "Guns-locked-up-in-your-car bill"

(To send one email to all committee members at the same time, block or highlight the entire list and then copy and paste the block into the address section of the email.  A colon or semi-colon could be needed after each name depending upon the email system you are using.)

Florida Senate

alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov
aronberg.dave.web@flsenate.gov
atwater.jeff.web@flsenate.gov
baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov
bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov
bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov
carlton.lisa.web@flsenate.gov
constantine.lee.web@flsenate.gov
crist.victor.web@flsenate.gov
dawson.mandy.web@flsenate.gov
dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov
deutch.ted.web@flsenate.gov
portilla.alex.web@flsenate.gov
dockery.paula.web@flsenate.gov
fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
garcia.rudy.web@flsenate.gov
geller.steven.web@flsenate.gov
haridopolos.mike.web@flsenate.gov
hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov
jones.dennis.web@flsenate.gov
joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov
justice.charlie.web@flsenate.gov
king.james.web@flsenate.gov
lawson.alfred.web@flsenate.gov
lynn.evelyn.web@flsenate.gov
margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov
oelrich.steve.web@flsenate.gov
peaden.durell.web@flsenate.gov
posey.bill.S24@flsenate.gov
pruitt.ken.web@flsenate.gov
rich.nan.web@flsenate.gov
ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov
saunders.burt.web@flsenate.gov
siplin.gary.web@flsenate.gov
storms.ronda.web@flsenate.gov
villalobos.alex.web@flsenate.gov
webster.daniel.s09@flsenate.gov
wilson.frederica.web@flsenate.gov
wise.stephen.web@flsenate.gov

For three years we have fought corporate giants and big business bullies. They want to ban firearms and prohibit you from parking in public access parking lots if you have a firearm locked in your car or truck for protection while traveling to and from shopping, work, or where ever your daily routine takes you. 

This is a WAR for your safety and your firearms freedom. Your right to have a gun in your car or truck when you park in a parking lot is on the line. Whether or your firearm rights live or die is NOW up to this Final Debate in the Senate. 

This bill is not perfect, but it protects your right to have a firearm locked in your vehicle for self-defense and other lawful purposes when it is parked in a business parking lot.  Employees who work for anti-gun businesses that have a gun ban policy will have to have a concealed weapons license to keep a firearm locked in their private vehicle while in the employers parking lot at work -- but customers and invitees do not.

Under this bill, employees may not be fired for having a firearm in their car if they have a concealed weapons license. Employers may not search private vehicles. Employers may not interrogate employees concerning firearms in cars or whether or not they have concealed weapons licenses.  In other words, employers must respect the Constitutional and statutory rights of workers or face penalties for violating individual rights and the law.

Below is the link to an OpEd article in the TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT titled "Businesses may not usurp Constitutional rights."  This article explains the issue concisely.

To view the OpEd, please click here.

Please continue to check www.NRAILA.org for updates on this important self-defense bill.