Florida Action Report! Self-defense Bill/Senate Rules last Thursday 2/9/2017

The critically important self-defense bill, SB-128, was heard by the Senate Rules Committee on Tuesday, February 9, 2017, and PASSED 8-2.

Once again State Attorney Phil Archer, representing the Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association (FPAA), testified against your self-defense rights and had the gall to announce that he is an NRA Life Member who teaches stand your ground in a self-defense/concealed weapons course every month.

You can bet Phil Archer isn't telling students that if they exercise self-defense in his jurisdiction, they give up the presumption of innocence until proven guilty -- a basic tenant of our judicial system since the founding of this great county.

State Attorney Phil Archer obviously has one foot in each camp and needs to decide if he wants to stand up for justice and the self-defense rights of victims or toss them out the window in favor of prosecutorial convenience. 

The FPAA has a paid lobbyist yet Phil Archer leaves his office in Brevard/Seminole County and travels to Tallahassee to lobby against the rights of the people of his circuit and the entire state of Florida.

When the state charges a person with a crime, the state should bear the burden of proof.

We want to thank the Senators who voted for the bill.

REPUBLICAN Senators Voting FOR the bill: Lizbeth Benacquisto, Rob Bradley, Jeff Brandes, Anitere Flores, Bill Galvano, Tom Lee and Wilton Simpson.

DEMOCRAT Senators Voting FOR the bill: Bill Montford

DEMOCRAT Senators Voting AGAINST the bill: Oscar Braynon and Perry Thurston

AGAIN, if you haven't already watched it, watch this video of Senate President Joe Negron explaining why this bill is important.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=opv_hIqcngs&feature=youtu.be

MAKE NO MISTAKE prosecutors have become a big problem in Florida and Phil Archeris the spokesman for those who don't want you to have the right to self-defense. Their association, the FPAA, cares more about convictions than justice.