Florida Alert! HCJ Committee Passes Bill to Stop Abuse for Exposure of a Concealed Firearm

HB-39 by Rep. Dane Eagle was heard in the House Criminal Justice Sub-Committee on Monday, January 29, 2018 and PASSED by a vote of 9-4.

HB-39 is a bill to stop the abuse of law-abiding citizens who are licensed by the State  to carry concealed firearms for self-defense and whose firearm becomes temporarily exposed to ordinary sight of another person.

Once again NY Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s group calling themselves “Mom’s Demand Action” were present and this time represented by Jami Ito of Tallahassee.

Either Ms. Ito had not read the bill and was simply reading testimony someone prepared for her or she attempted to mislead the Committee with erroneous statements claiming, “This bill is a dangerous proposal which legalizes the open carry of handguns in Florida.”  

While we wish that is what the bill does, it clearly does not.

Ms. Ito’s testimony contained so much false information that Rep. Dane Eagle had to use his closing statement on the bill to correct the record and rebut Ms. Ito’s testimony.

VOTING FOR THE BILL:  Committee Chairman Ross Spano (R) Representatives Thad Altman (R), Dane Eagle (R), Julio Gonzalez (R), Bill Hager (R), Gayle Harrell (R), Chris Latvala (R), Jennifer Sullivan (R), Clay Yarborough (R)

VOTING  AGAINST THE BILL:  Representatives Ramon Alexander (D), Sharon Pritchett (D), David Richardson (D) Emily Slosberg (D),

The bill next goes to the House Judiciary Committee.

Background:

This is not an Open Carry Bill.  This bill has nothing to do with carrying openly or brandishing.

This bill is about stopping abuse of law-abiding citizens who are licensed by the State to carry concealed firearms for self-defense.

A license holder whose firearm becomes temporarily and openly displayed to the ordinary sight of another person is not a criminal and this innocent act should not be a crime.

In Florida, there are 1.8 million law-abiding license holders

Every time a law-abiding person – licensed by the state to carry for protection leaves his or her home, legally carrying a firearm –  EVERYTIME –  they run the risk of that firearm becoming exposed  to the sight of another person and then being treated like a criminal.

This bill stops anti-gun law enforcement officers and anti-gun prosecutors from abusing law-abiding license holders for temporary exposure of a concealed firearm.  In short, it stops them from criminalizing the exercise of a constitutional right.