A National Rifle Association-supported measure that failed to win legislative approval a year ago appears to have a clear shot of advancing now that it has the backing of the Florida Sheriffs Association.
House and Senate committees Wednesday approved similar bills (SB 290 and HB 493) that would allow legal gun owners to carry their guns without concealed-weapons licenses during the first 48 hours after emergency evacuation orders are given.
A version of the proposal, which didn’t include the evacuation time frame or other new language, died in the Senate last year amid a contentious debate.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, representing the Florida Sheriffs Association, said Wednesday his organization has altered its stance due to the new provisions. Along with the 48-hour time frame, the new version allows people to carry concealed weapons without licenses as long as they are “in the act of evacuating,” regardless of their locations.
Last year “it didn’t provide enough parameters, enough definitive information as to what somebody could be doing and not doing in a time frame,” Gualtieri said.
In addition to the 48-hour window for people to carry weapons while they get away from evacuation zones once an order is given, the bill would allow the governor to extend such an order by an additional 48 hours.
Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who sponsored the proposal last year and this year, said efforts to alter the proposal in 2014 only created more questions, such as the possibility of limiting the carrying of concealed weapons to county borders.
“The problem is that the county line in Pinellas is the middle of a bridge sometimes,” Brandes said after the meeting. “It actually made it worse for individuals because there was complete ambiguity with the law.”
The House backed the measure 80-36 a year ago and the NRA made clear last May it would seek to bring back the issue during the 2015 legislative session, describing the sheriffs association at the time as declaring “war on the Second Amendment.”
On Wednesday, the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted 9-2 to back this year’s proposal, sponsored by Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, R-Fort Myers. The votes in opposition were from Democrats Clovis Watson of Alachua and Randolph Bracy of Orlando.
The Senate Community Affairs Committee backed its version of the measure 5-1. Sen. Joseph Abruzzo, a Boynton Beach Democrat who supported the proposal, expressed concern that people being forced to evacuate because of a hurricane must “leave their guns in their home for looters or anybody else can come in and take them.”
But in voting against the measure, Sen. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, said after the meeting she has concerns that more weapons will be on the road during a declared disaster.
“I just envision people leaving in an emergency and people having guns when law enforcement is not at its best in terms of being able to enforce what goes on,” Thompson said.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee voted 4-1 on Feb. 16 to back the proposal, and the next stop before reaching the Senate floor is the Rules Committee.
The House measure must still go through the Economic Development & Tourism Subcommittee and the Judiciary Committee.
The failure of last year’s bill came despite Florida lawmakers rushing to approve NRA-supported Second Amendment proposals during the past several years.
Since taking office in 2011, Gov. Rick Scott has signed into law 12 gun-related measures backed by the NRA.
The bills have ranged from highly contentious measures, such as the so-called “docs vs. glocks” law in 2011, to less-controversial laws such as allowing tax collectors’ offices to handle concealed-weapons license applications.
Scott’s overall total is nine more than former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist approved while enjoying an equally Republican-dominated Legislature between 2007 and 2010. Former Gov. Jeb Bush, who was in office for eight years, penned his name on 14 pro-gun laws, including the state’s “stand your ground” law.
tomc says
Great news!
just me says
sounds reasonable allow people who already own them legally to take them with them for self protection.
Tammy says
Well its about time !!! Good News for us “legal” gun owners .
Lancer says
An armed society is a polite society
Anonymous says
“I just envision people leaving in an emergency and people having guns when law enforcement is not at its best in terms of being able to enforce what goes on,” (Sen. Geraldine) Thompson, (D-Orlando) said.
That is and has historically been the gun-hater’s biggest problem – their imagination. They seem to envision many scenarios for which there are few or no examples, and tout their imagination as valid. May I refer the reader to “wild west”, “shootouts over parking spaces”, “blood in the streets”, and my favorite, “rolling gunbattles on the interstate”. All of these specious claims were made in 1987 with regards to shall-issue licensing, and the same has been raised in protest of every pro gun bill offered in the Florida Legislature. None of those wild claims has come to fruition, yet the gun-haters continue to offer up that tired rhetoric.
Anonymous says
Hey Anon . . . Ever been to Miami? Ever read the Miami papers? You don’t have to go to the ‘wild west’ to see and hear about gun battles – in broad daylight, and in auto traffic! That’s an every day deal down there.
Folks, you gotta get real. Guns in the hands of just anyone is NOT a good deal.
How about those battles at the gas pumps during the 70s? All you need is a gas line, impatient drivers, and a loaded gun to have a ‘party’.
Wild west . . . my foot!
confidential says
NRA promoting more killings in Florida than we already have. Cops will be overburden also with bully gun toting dudes during evacuations. Please!
Retired FF says
I want the ability to protect my family any way I can. During evacuation type situations the criminals seem to come out of the rat holes they live in and take advantage of people. I support this bill 100%.