Federal Judge Upholds Florida’s NRA-Backed “Guns at Work” Law

Fairfax, VA—A federal judge handed down a decisive victory for gun owners in Florida yesterday. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled that state law allowing employees with Right-to-Carry permits to keep a firearm in their private vehicles while at work is constitutional. The “Guns at Work” law, as it is known, has been part of a three-year effort by the National Rifle Association (NRA) to expand the self-defense rights of law-abiding gun owners.

“This ruling is a significant victory for Florida gun owners,” said Chris W. Cox, NRA’s chief lobbyist. “NRA wanted to reinforce that it is wrong for corporations to arbitrarily demand that every man and woman on their payroll give up their right to defend themselves and their loved ones or give up their jobs. We are thankful the judge found Florida’s law to be constitutional and we hope the ruling will bring an end to a pattern of corporate disregard for gun owners’ civil rights.”

“This is a huge win for the people. This bill is about protecting the sanctity of every working man and woman’s fundamental right to self-defense,” declared Marion Hammer, NRA’s Florida lobbyist and the first ever woman to lead NRA as President. “In a day and age where commutes are longer and people spend more time running errands before and after work, hard working men and women in our country should not have their basic God-given right to self defense trampled by corporate giants.”

Judge Hinkle rejected the argument by Florida’s Chamber of Commerce that the law is an unconstitutional taking of private property without just compensation. He also rejected the chamber’s argument that the law violates OSHA standards.

-NRA-

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.