Florida's weak gun safety laws still reflect 'Gunshine State' reputation | Editorial
We're No. 19: Florida ranks in the top third of states when it comes to the strength its gun laws. The ranking might have been higher, had Republicans in the state capital not spent the years following the tragic 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland undermining a fairly good law that raised the age requirement to buy firearms and allowed local law enforcement to seek a judge's order to take away firearms from troubled individuals.
The Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund rankings rated California, New York, Hawaii, New Jersey and Connecticut as its top five states. Their gun safety laws include bans on assault weapons and ghost guns, strong background checks and consumer safety standards and using technology to trace guns used in crimes. None of that has happened in Florida, a state that takes Second Amendment rights beyond reason.
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Florida risks weakening its gun laws
For a moment though, Florida did the right thing. Following the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 students and teachers dead, the Florida Legislature toughened state gun laws. Police could, and still can, remove guns from individuals who pose a danger to themselves or others. Lawmakers also raised the minimum age to buy a gun, rifle or long guns like shotguns and AR-15s. to 21. The bill, signed into law by then-Gov. Rick Scott, made Florida a leader among politically red states, particularly with its new red flag law.
The change made Florida a bit of an outlier, particularly among Republican-controlled states where adherence to a flawed interpretation of the Second Amendment trumps concern for gun violence. The new state laws, along with a bevy of other commonsense requirements, like barring the open carry of firearms, blocking concealed weapons in bars and required assessment programs to identify students at risk of violence, have helped ease Florida's status of having weak gun laws.
Today, however, lawmakers are hellbent on reviving Florida's "Gunshine State" reputation. Florida no longer requires a permit to have a concealed weapon, thanks to a new law that went into effect during the summer of 2023. The Florida House approved HB 1543, a bill that would return the firearm age limit to 18, but the bill died in the Florida Senate. It's likely to resurface in 2024, along with HB 17, legislation to allow Floridians to carry firearms openly and void the state's mandatory three-day waiting period if the process isn't done in three days.
With mass shootings that have brought unwanted attention to Florida having already occurred at a high school, a night club and more recently a discount store, now is not the time to roll back gun laws. Gun violence is a problem here and throughout the country. Floridians deserve tougher, not weaker gun safety laws.
CONSIDER THE SOURCE: Everytown is a national organization dedicated to preventing gun violence through advocacy, research and supporting candidates and elected officials who support gun safety measures. The organization evaluated Florida using 50 key gun safety policies, in which our state had implemented 17 out of 50.
Editor's Note: RANKING FLORIDA is a series of editorials to show where the state ranks on a variety of issues that resonate with Floridians.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida's gun laws still lax and lawmakers gunning to weaken them more
