Florida Firearm Laws: Open Carry and a Whole Lot MORE

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A pair of court rulings declaring some of Florida's gun restrictions unconstitutional are creating some confusion in the notoriously firearm-friendly state — and fueling activists' calls for Republican legislators to take action to update state statutes so they abide by the new legal landscape.

Despite Florida's history of being a gun-supporting climate, Florida's GOP-dominated state Legislature took steps to restrict gun laws in the wake of the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Since the day the measure was signed into law, gun rights advocates have been pushing to unravel it.

Now, activists say recent court rulings are fueling their push to expand gun rights in the state, emboldened by U.S. Supreme Court's updated standards for evaluating gun laws based on the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation. “Leaving unconstitutional laws on the books creates nothing but confusion,” said Sean Caranna, executive director of the advocacy group Florida Carry.

Florida's First District Court of Appeal issued its ruling last month in a case stemming from the July 4, 2022, arrest of a man who stood at a major intersection in downtown Pensacola carrying a visible, holstered pistol and a copy of the U.S. Constitution.

The decision legalizes open carry, though there are preexisting limitations against carrying in a threatening manner or in certain restricted spaces like government meetings, schools and bars. The ruling has prompted some Florida sheriffs to urge caution among gun owners and seek clarity from lawmakers.

Legalizing open carry has long been a major focus of gun rights activists in the state, who oppose the slate of restrictions that Florida’ lawmakers implemented in the wake of the Parkland school shooting, which killed 17 people and injured 17 others. Among the law's provisions was raising the legal gun-buying age to 21.

In the years since the 2018 Parkland shooting, lawmakers' efforts to lower the gun-buying age to 18 have advanced in the Florida House but ultimately failed in the state Senate.

Now some advocates say the recent court rulings should force the hand of legislators who have opposed expanding gun rights in the past.

"I hope that given some of the recent decisions from the United States Supreme Court and the Florida courts, that they will finally see that the Second Amendment is not a second-class right," he added.

Representatives for Florida's House speaker and Senate president did not immediately respond to inquiries Wednesday.

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