Lawmakers in Florida are looking to secure open carry rights for firearms owners in their state, even as the nation’s gun laws are again in the spotlight after a mass shooting at an Oregon community college.
A bill that would allow the open carry of a firearm in public got its first hearing before a justice subcommittee in the Florida House of Representatives Tuesday. HB 163 would relax existing Florida law by allowing anyone who is licensed to carry a concealed weapon to be able to do so openly, meaning guns could eventually be visible on the hips of Floridans.
The bill cleared the House subcommittee by an 8-4 vote Tuesday morning. It now heads to four more committees before heading for a full floor vote.
Open Carry has passed its first committee stop! Thank You to the 1,000+ Citizen Co-Sponsors and all that came to show your support!!
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) October 6, 2015
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, and co-sponsored by Republican Reps. Neil Combee of Polk County, Brad Drake of Eucheeanna, Dane Eagle of Cape Coral, Jay Fant of Jacksonville and Charles Van Zant of Keystone Heights. Both Fant and Van Zant sit on the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee.
Gaetz’s father, Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, also introduced SB 300, the bill’s Senate companion, which has yet to be referred to a committee in that chamber.
“The right to bear arms is a fundamental and individual right that exists in any place that a person has the right to be, subject only to exceptionally and narrowly tailored restrictions that employ the least possible restriction on the right in order to achieve a compelling government interest,” the bill reads.
Owners of private property in Florida, such as owners of malls and movies theaters, could still ban guns regardless of a license. Also under Florida law, there is no carrying guns in schools, government meetings, airports or bars.
According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Florida is one of only five states plus the District of Columbia that prohibits the open carrying of guns altogether. Fifteen states currently allow open carry with some sort of license or permit, while 31 states allow open carry without any sort license or permit.
Florida is known for having gun laws heavily favored by gun-rights advocates, such as the state’s Stand Your Ground Statute. Furthermore, a controversial bill allowing for people on college campuses to carry concealed weapons passed the state’s House and Senate criminal justice subcommittees in September. Should that bill approved in the coming weeks and then become law, it would take effect on July 1, 2016.
“I like to see Florida on the list of states that enhances people’s rights and makes people stronger, not on the list of states that restricts the choices and the rights of our citizens,” Rep. Gaetz said in a press conference prior to Tuesday morning’s hearing.
