| DATE: | March 8, 2017 |
| TO: | USF & NRA Members and Friends |
| FROM: | Marion P. Hammer |
| USF Executive Director | |
| NRA Past President |
SB-646 Open Carry and SB-616 Courthouse Carry by Sen. Greg Steube were both scheduled to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, between 4:00-6:00pm.
However, when SB-616, the first of the two bills came up, committee member Sen. Anitere Flores conducted questioning of the Chairman and bill sponsor, Greg Steube, and then made her anti-gun statement declaring her intentions regarding pro-gun bills.
That bill subsequently passed 5-4 and the other 3 other progun bills on the committee agenda were temporarily passed over and not brought to a vote.
Some in the media are now suggesting that all pro-gun bills are now dead for the year.
We hope the following helps you understand where we are at this point in time.
Below is a link to Sen. Flores' antigun statement as well as a "victory" photo of her with the Florida leader of Bloomberg's "Moms Demand Action."
Here's the link to what many are calling the Flores "State of the Senate" speech in Judiciary Committee yesterday.
https://youtu.be/4xdGA4Cm670
and the link to the photo Michelle Gajda, the Florida leader of Bloomberg's "Moms Demand Action" anti-gun group posted this after the hearing
https://twitter.com/michelle_gajda/status/839247611160821760
A reporter questioned me about what happen and these are my responses:
"I cannot tell you why Sen. Flores suddenly turned on law-abiding gun owners because I do not know. (Until yesterday she had a 100% rating with NRA and USF)
I cannot tell you if Sen. Flores was acting on her own behalf or on behalf of the Senate President or Senate Leadership because I do not know.
I cannot tell you whether or not she has the power to kill all pro-gun bills and not allow the Senate to vote on them because I do not know. But -- as the old saying goes -- "it ain't over 'till it's over," and this is only Day 2 of the 2017 Legislative session.
And finally, am I giving up for this session? ABSOLUTELY NOT. I represent law-abiding gun owners statewide and they depend on me to fight for them and I will."
