OAN Geraldyn Berry
UPDATED 12:21 PM – Friday, March 31, 2023
A measure allowing people to carry concealed weapons anywhere without permits was approved by Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature on Thursday.
The proposal would do away with extra background checks, licenses, and additional regulations for firearms training that are currently part of the concealed weapons permit process.
Under current law, people who want to carry concealed weapons in public in Florida must acquire licenses from the state and meet certain requirements in order to do so.
The new rule would not change the inability of those who are prohibited from possessing or purchasing firearms under other Florida laws.
People carrying concealed weapons would only need to have valid identification on them under the new bill, which is known as “constitutional carry” by Conservatives and gun rights activists and “permitless carry” by gun safety activists, proponents of gun restrictions, and neutral organizations. There would be a $25 penalty for not doing so.
The Senate’s approval of the bill comes just three days after a shooter entered a school in Nashville, Tennessee, killing six people, three of them children under the age of nine. DeSantis has not yet made any public comments regarding this assault.
The bill now goes to Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), who has repeatedly indicated he will sign it.
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