The epidemic of gun violence that kills 96 people a day is focused on mental illness. But a little-known problem is what to do about firearms in homes of aging Americans with dementia.
Second Amendment
Court Largely Sides With Florida State In Weapons Dispute With Florida Carry
An appeals court Friday backed Florida State University in much of a legal battle with a gun-rights group about weapons on campus, though the case goes back to circuit court.
State Objects to Anonymity of 19 Year Old Woman Seeking to Join NRA Lawsuit
Lawyers for Attorney General Pam Bondi asked a federal judge to deny the anonymity request, calling it unjustified, and open court proceedings more important.
Compromise Over School Deputies in Flagler, But Look Beyond False Security of “Hardening”
There’s an effective way to end the stalemate between the Flagler Sheriff and the school board over deputies in schools without breaking the bank or compromising security.
“March For Our Lives” Draws 100 Along Palm Coast Parkway in Orange Echo of Global Student Movement
The Palm Coast demonstrators joined some 800 planned March For Our Lives protests across the globe today, calling for sensible gun control and a ban on assault-type weapons.
Florida Voters Denied Choice on Gun Restrictions as Constitution Commission Holsters Proposal
Floridians won’t have an opportunity to decide whether the state should ban semi-automatic weapons or have gun-related restrictions after the Constitution Revision Commission rejected attempts to debate the proposals.
Broad-Ranging Gun Control Proposal Could End Up on November Ballot as an Amendment
A proposed constitutional amendment would a minimum age of 21 on all firearm purchases, a 3-day waiting period and a comprehensive background check.
Democrats, ‘Party of Intellectuals,’ Have a Second-Amendment Blind Spot
Americans possesses an unalienable and inherent right of self-defense, a lawfully armed citizenry is a free citizenry, and no government has merited the total trust of its people.
Ban on Assault-Type Guns Fails in Raucous Hearing, Training and Arming Teachers Passes
The intense debate came during a Senate Rules Committee hearing on a broad package addressing school safety, guns and mental health, in response to this month’s massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that left 17 people, including 14 students, dead.
Gun Control Could Become a Key Issue in Florida’s Elections
Major political donors on both sides plan to use support for “common-sense” legislation as a litmus test for candidates during the 2018 midterm elections.
Claiming “Nothing Will Be Done” On Guns Lets NRA Off the Hook, Overstating Its Strength
NRA influence has limits, and there’s evidence it’s on the wane, but fatalism spares opponents of gun reform from even having to make their arguments for protecting the gun lobby.
In the Name of the Father, the Son and Ammunition: Lawmakers Favor Guns in Churches
The Florida House and Senate have started moving forward with measures that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on the grounds of churches and other religious institutions that include schools.
Florida Gun Store Burglaries, Often Brazen And Unresolved, Quadruple in 4 Years
Weak security practices at many gun stores have made commercial burglaries an increasingly significant source of weapons for criminals in Florida and beyond.
82,000 Stolen Guns Are Missing in Florida, Feeding Traffic Among Drug Dealers and Felons
Car burglaries are driving the epidemic as many gun owners leave their vehicles unlocked. Gun stores offer another easy target. Firearms stolen from these businesses during burglaries have more than quadrupled over the last five years.
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Florida’s Ban on Openly Carrying Firearms, Ending 6-Year Case
State lawmakers have proposed measures that would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to openly carry firearms, but the proposals have not passed.
Health Providers Prevail Over Gun Promoters in Guns v. Glocks Duel as 2011 Law Dies
The plaintiffs in the case, including individual doctors, argued that the restrictions were a violation of their First Amendment rights. A federal court agreed.
Florida Supreme Court Upholds Ban On Openly Carrying Guns in 4-2 Ruling
Justices, in a 4-2 ruling, said the state law “regulates only one manner of bearing arms and does not impair the exercise of the fundamental right to bear arms.”
Guns at Florida Airports, Colleges, Government Buildings: House Speaker Says “Let’s Try It”
Some 39 bills, resolutions and resolution-like memorials have been filed in the Legislature so far that include language that would make gun possession and carrying more permissive in Florida.
1st Amendment Trumps 2nd: Court Says Doctors Have Right To Ask About Guns at Home
Major portions of a controversial Florida law restricting physicians and other health-care providers from asking patients about guns is unconstitutional, a federal appeals court ruled.
Spate of Bills Would Allow Floridians to Carry Guns at Colleges, Airports, Bars, Courthouses, Stadiums
One of the proposals would decriminalize the penalty for people who briefly display a firearm in public, others would allow concealed carry permit holders to carry guns in courthouses, jails and government meetings, among other places.
Lawmakers File Bill to Ban AR-15-Like
Weapon Used in Orlando Massacre
Sen. Gary Farmer, D-Fort Lauderdale, and Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, announced they are sponsoring a proposal (SB 254) that would ban so-called assault rifles and “large capacity” ammunition magazines.
Florida Justices Let Felon Carry Hunting Rifle, Saying Prohibition Doesn’t Apply to Antique Guns
In a 5-2 decision, justices cleared Weeks on the gun-possession charge because state law treats antique firearms — and their replicas — different from other guns. The ruling said lawmakers exempted firearms manufactured in or before 1918 and their replicas from the prohibition on felons possessing guns.
Gun In Hand, Tax Collector Johnston Heralds Fast-Track Concealed-Weapon Permitting
Flagler County Tax Collector Suzanne Johnston took herself and most of her staff through a gun-safety class and shooting session at the range to prepare for her office’s new service: processing and fast-tracking concealed-weapons permits, starting today (June 22).
Adam Putnam Says Orlando Mass Murderer Had Cleared All Legally Required Background Checks
Putnam runs the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which oversees weapons permits in Florida. The department hasn’t released Mateen’s application paperwork.
Florida Justices Appear Skeptical in Challenge to Open-Carry Ban, Deferring to Legislature
Justices Barbara Pariente and Peggy Quince questioned how the current state law allowing citizens to receive concealed-weapons licenses to carry firearms suppresses gun ownership.
Are We Finally Ready For Smart Guns? Daytona’s iGuns Technologies Aims For Yes
The iGun’s chip technology only works within centimeters and makes it impossible for anyone other than the person wearing the ring to fire it. Some gun advocates are resistant for various reasons.
For Flagler’s Gun Shops, New Residents Spur Brisk Business But Laws Conceal Debate
Flagler County’s gun shop owners say fear and a need for protection rather than hunting still drives much of their business, but they have differing views on gun regulations and the need for additional laws.
Opposing Open Carry, Sheriffs Instead Propose Immunity for Accidental Display of Guns
The Florida Sheriffs Association, which has opposed the open-carry measure, outlined proposed steps that would provide immunity to people who inadvertently or accidentally display firearms.
In a Civilized State Without Stand Your Ground, Jordan Davis Would Still Be Alive
The covenant of civilized living demands that we work to defuse conflicts, not escalate them. It demands that we look at each other face to face, and not through the divisive lens of stereotype.
Pinellas Sheriff’s Caution on Open-Carry Bill Triggers Duel of Furious Accusations
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says a Sarasota Herald-Tribune blogger “absolutely mischaracterizes” his concerns about open-carry, as the blogger and Florida Carry, the pro-gun lobby group, claim the sheriff would threaten to shoot concealed carriers.
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
In Rare Defeat for NRA in Florida, Lawmakers Kill Broader Stand Your Ground Measure
A National Rifle Association-backed measure that could have made it easier legally for people to claim self-defense in shooting incidents failed to get through its first House committee on Tuesday.
In Defeat for Florida Carry Inc., Court Upholds UF Policy Banning Guns in University Housing
The appeals court rejected Florida Carry’s argument that the Legislature provided for gun possession in dorms as it does in homes. That leaves it up to lawmakers to change. There’s been movement in that direction.
Openly Displaying Handguns and Guns on Campus Bills Win Senate Panel Approval
One of the Florida Senate committees also supported a measure that might make it easier for people to claim they have stood their ground in self-defense when shooting others.
Facing Lawsuit from Florida Carry, FSU Scraps Gun Ban in Cars on Football Game Day
The changes to the school’s “Game Day Plan 2015” guide for fans won’t holster the legal challenge by Florida Carry Inc. as legislators again consider allowing concealed weapons on campus.
For Every US Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, 13 Children Were Shot and Killed in America
Between 2002 and 2012, at least 28,000 children and teens 19-years-old and younger were killed with guns. Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 made up over two-thirds of all youth gun deaths in America.
Flagler, Among Top 10 Counties With Most Concealed-Weapon Licenses, Will Fast-Track Permitting
Flagler has 8.24 concealed carry permits for every 100 residents. Starting Jan. 1, the Flagler Tax Collector’s office will accept concealed-weapon permit applications for $134 and renewals for $72.
Federal Court Upholds Docs v. Glocks Law Forbidding Physicians From Asking About Guns
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights advocates and a defeat for medical groups that argued, at least in part, that the law infringed on doctors’ First Amendment rights.
Court Will Hear Argument That Guns Should Be Allowed at UF Dorms as They Are At Home
A circuit judge ruled against Florida Carry Inc.’s argument last year that people have a legal right to possess firearms at University of Florida housing just as they do in their homes.
Bill Would Allow Gun-Carrying Without Concealed-Weapons Permit During Evacuations
An NRA-supported measure that failed last year now has sheriffs’ backing, and would allow legal gun owners to carry their guns without licenses in the first 48 hours after emergency evacuation orders are given.
When Your Armed Neighbor Comes
Knocking: Guns and Muslims in Chapel Hill
What kind of country do we live in, where it’s legal for a man to bring a weapon to a noise complaint? Or a parking dispute? Mitchell Zimmerman confronts the Chapel Hill killings of three Muslims.
Appeal Court Upholds Florida’s Ban on Open-Carry, But Case Appears Headed For Supremes
Dale Norman, a resident of St. Lucie County, was arrested at gunpoint for carrying an openly visible handgun in a holster, on his hip. Florida Carry Inc. took his case and has been fighting his conviction since.
8 Weeks After FSU Shooting, House Panel Approves Concealed Guns on Florida Campuses
Currently, people are banned from carrying such weapons at Florida colleges and universities, with the exception of stun guns or similar devices. Data show that 246,632 Floridians between the ages of 21 and 35 have concealed carry permits.
Should Brandishing a Gun at Someone Who Cuts You Off in Traffic Be Considered Self-Defense?
The Florida Supreme Court is considering a “stand your ground” case in which a man was charged with aggravated assault after brandishing a gun at a trucker during a confrontation on a state highway.
Michael Dunn Is Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Shooting of Jordan Davis as Jury Rejects Self-Defense Claim
Michael Dunn murdered 17-year-old Jordan Davis at a gas station in Jacksonville the day after Thanksgiving 2012, in a case that again put the focus on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and racial implications.
Assault Weapons Don’t Kill People.
Handguns Kill People.
It turns out that big, scary military rifles don’t kill the vast majority of the 11,000 Americans murdered with guns each year. Little handguns do. Yet Democrats and anti-gun advocates keep focusing on renewing the defunct assault-weapons ban.
Florida’s “Docs vs. Glocks” Bill Wins Federal Appeals Court Approval in 2-1 Ruling
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the state Legislature had the right to pass the NRA-backed law, which includes provisions restricting doctors and other medical providers from asking questions about gun ownership during medical visits.
Palm Coast Activists Drop 1,600 Postcards to Rep. Ron DeSantis, Seeking Better Gun-Safety
The national, week-long “Not One More” campaign was inspired by the passionate plea of Richard Martinez, father of a victim of the May 23 mass shooting in Santa Barbara, in which Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured 13 before killing himself.
Democrats Push to Restart CDC Funding for Gun Violence Research; NRA Calls It “Unethical”
Since 1996, when a small CDC-funded study on the risks of owning a firearm ignited opposition from Republicans, the CDC’s budget for research on firearms injuries has shrunk to zero. Two Congressional Democrats are unveiling legislation Wednesday that would restart such research, for $10 million.
When Guns and Mental Health Intersect: Cops Seize Arsenals on Two Occasions in 5 Days
For the second time in five days Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies have seized, with consent, two unrelated individuals’ weapons for safekeeping after incidents involving excessive grief or hallucinations, and fear among cops or relatives of the individuals involved that they could harm themselves if their weapons were left in their possession.
