| DATE: | March 28, 2017 |
| TO: | USF & NRA Members and Friends |
| FROM: | Marion P. Hammer |
| USF Executive Director | |
| NRA Past President |
SB-646 by Sen. Greg Steube was scheduled to be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 28, 2017, between 3:00-5:00pm. But it wasn't.
SB-646 Open Carrying by Sen. Greg Steube removes the criminal penalties for violations of the open carry law and prohibits a person who has a concealed firearms license from being arrested and charged with a crime if their firearm becomes temporarily exposed to sight of another person. (See background below)
Why wasn't it heard by the committee? It had to be "Temporarily Postponed" because, once again, Sen. Anitere Flores (R-Miami) is single-handedly trying to kill it.
Sen. Flores is using her position as the swing vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee to block progun legislation from getting out of committee.
WHO SUPPORTS SB-646?
The Florida Public Defenders Association,
The Florida Prosecuting Attorneys Association,
The Florida Police Chiefs Association,
The Florida Sheriffs Association,
The National Rifle Association,
The Florida Smart Justice Alliance and
Unified Sportsmen of Florida.
WHO OPPOSES it? Republican Sen. Anitere Flores and most of the antigun Democrats.
We thought once we had a progun Senate President again we wouldn't have a repeat performance of the obstructionist tactics of former Sen. President Andy Gardiner and Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla.
Right now, a single Senator from Miami is controlling which bills get out of her committee and keeping the Senate from being able to vote on bills she doesn't like.
It's time to email the elected Senate President, Joe Negron, and ask him to stop Senator Flores from running roughshod over the process.
Urge him to PLEASE let this bill be heard by the full Senate.
Please EMAIL the Senate President Joe Negron IMMEDIATELY and URGE him to let SB-646 be heard by the full Senate.
IN THE SUBJECT LINE PUT:
PLEASE, Let SB-646 Open Carry Protection be heard by the Senate
Send your message to this email address negron.joe@flsenate.gov
Background
This bill is about stopping abuse of law-abiding citizens who are licensed 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.
Exercising the constitutional right to bear arms should not be subject to any penalty whatever unless that person commits a crime with the weapon or firearm.
In Florida, there are 1.7 million law-abiding license holders
Every time they leave their homes, carrying a firearm, they run the risk of that firearm becoming temporarily exposed to the sight of another person and then being treated like a criminal and charged with violating the open carry law. It's time to stop that.
It's time to stop criminalizing the exercise of a constitutional right.
Please send your email immediately.
If you care about your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, you cannot afford to stand by and do nothing to protect those rights. It time to STAND and FIGHT for your rights.
If you have never emailed a legislator -- DO IT NOW! If you have, then you know it helps tremendously so DO IT AGAIN! PLEASE, We're counting on you.
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