| DATE: | January 25, 2018 |
| TO: | USF & NRA Member and Friends |
| FROM: | Marion P. Hammer |
| USF Executive Director | |
| NRA Past President |
ACTION THIS WEEK ON PRO-GUN BILLS
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2018 the House Criminal Justice Committee
HB-1419 Guns on Church Property/Church Private Property Rights by Rep. Lawrence McClure (R) is a bill to restore private property rights to churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions. It passed by a vote of 7-3. The bill now goes to the House Judiciary Committee
THURSDAY, Jan. 25, 2018 Senate Judiciary Committee
SB-1048 Guns on Church Property/Church Private Property Rights by Sen. Dennis Baxley (R) is a bill to restore private property rights to churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions. It passed by a vote of 6-4. The bill now goes to the Senate Rules Committee
Restoring the Private Property Rights of churches, synagogues, and other religious institutionswas OPPOSED by NY Mayor Bloomberg's Mom Demand Action, League of Women Voters of Florida, and Florida PTA. It appears these organizations are not only anti-gun but are also anti-private property rights and anti-religious freedom.
Background:
This bill is about restoring the private property rights of churches, synagogues, and other religious institutions and their right to choose to allow firearms on church property.
These are the very same rights that private citizens, businesses, and other organizations have on their private property.
Church property is not school property. Under current (s. 790.115) the state has been prohibiting firearms on church property, period, if at any time the church has a child care, daycare, or pre-school program on church property.
Just because a church has a child care program or pre-school program does not mean the government can hijack its property.
The state can’t strip away the property rights of churches any more than it can prohibit you from having guns in your home or on my private property because you home school your children, grandchildren or your neighbor’s children.
Nor can they declare a giant food warehouse facility, school property because they have an after school study program for the children of employees who need help with their school homework or remedial classes.
This bill ONLY amends the concealed carry licensing law to make it clear that churches have the right to allow persons with licenses, to carry for protection on church property and to hire armed security to provide protection of church members and guests.
Parents who use the childcare services of churches are free to make their own decisions about where their children get daycare or preschool services if they don’t like the policies of the church.
The rights of churches are enshrined in the First Amendment. They are supposed to left alone to enjoy their congregants, their property, and their freedom of choice.
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