TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida’s controversial permitless carry bill sailed through its final committee Thursday and will soon head to a full floor vote in both houses of the state legislature.
The highly-scrutinized bill is about more than just guns.
Despite the showing of people against the bill, and amid arguments and fears, those opposed left angry and disappointed.
The bill that morphed from “permitless carry” to “public safety” cleared its last committee and is on the way to the House and Senate.
Though gun purchase laws remain in place, the elimination of concealed carry permits means the required basic safety training that goes with it will be eliminated too.
“Those 7,000 people that were denied a permit for whatever reason would now have access to those weapons, yes?” asked State Sen. Lauren Book, D-Plantation.
“No. Those people have access to weapons now,” answered State Sen. Jay Collins, R-Hillsborough County.
What gets far less attention are additions to the bill made in the Senate, including more than $40 million to harden school sites and hire school safety personnel and even detection dogs.
“For me, the important part of the bill is public safety provisions,” Florida Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said during a recent appearance on This Week in South Florida. “That was something I’ve been talking about for a long time.”
Passidomo said she supports permitless carry, but not so much open carry, which was one of the reasons some on the right showed up to oppose the bill on Thursday.
Open carry is not on the table this session.