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'A God-given right': Florida House loads permitless gun carry bill into the Senate chamber

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James Call, Tallahassee Democrat
·5 min read

Gun rights advocates passed a major milestone Friday in their drive to get a permitless carry bill to Gov. Ron DeSantis for his signature.

The Florida House approved HB 543 on a mostly party line 76–32 vote, with one Republican, Rep. Vicki Lopez of Miami voting with 31 Democrats in opposition.

The measure, and its Senate companion, SB 150, does away with background checks, training, and fees for a concealed-carry weapons license. The Department of Agriculture has issued more than 2.66 million CWLs.

“This bill simply allows Floridians to conceal carry without red tape and expense. Florida will not come between you and your freedom to protect yourself anymore,” said Rep. Chuck Brannon, R-Macclenny, who has sponsored the measure the past two sessions.

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Brannon and his allies criticized the licensing process as having to pay for a “government permission slip” to exercise a constitutional right to protect oneself and one’s family.

“A constitutional God-given right endowed by our creator,” explained Rep. Adam Botana, R-Naples, with a reference to the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Democrats argued supporters twist the Second Amendment into a “dangerous concept.”

Rep. Michelle K. Rayner-Goolsby, D-Tampa, added that whenever lawmakers discuss gun laws “everyone becomes a YouTube lawyer."

“The right of the people to keep and bear arms (shall) not be infringed does not mean that you’re not registering it. Does not mean there are no rules and guardrails … This is insanity,” said Rayner-Goolsby.

Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, presents House Bill 543: Concealed Carry of Weapons and Firearms Without a License at a Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law & Government Operations Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.
Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, presents House Bill 543: Concealed Carry of Weapons and Firearms Without a License at a Constitutional Rights, Rule of Law & Government Operations Subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023.

Earlier, Rep. Dan Daley, D-Sunrise, told the Tallahassee Democrat the bill’s supporters talk a lot about the constitution, “but they must have read only the CliffsNotes version.”

Daley, a corporate lawyer and CWL holder, noted in debate on the House floor that more than 7,600 CWL applicants were denied by the state in 2021.

“Think about that for a second. That’s 7,600 more guns on the street because they are not going to know they are not permitted to carry (a gun) in the state,” said Daley.

He called the loosening of gun regulations “insane.”

The measure is a priority for House Speaker Paul Renner and supported by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo.

Rep. Michelle K. Rayner-Goolsby speaks on the steps of the Historic Capitol Monday morning to protest the House Bill 1557, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics.
Rep. Michelle K. Rayner-Goolsby speaks on the steps of the Historic Capitol Monday morning to protest the House Bill 1557, also known as the "Don't Say Gay" bill by critics.

DeSantis has said he will sign the bill.

Aligning House and Senate bills

Second Amendment advocates had pushed for an amendment to allow open carry in Florida. Rep. Mike Beltran, R-Riverview, filed it. Passidomo said she would not support it, and Beltran withdrew it Tuesday.

The Florida Police Chief Association and the NRA Institute for Legislative Action endorse both bills.

A provision in HB 543, and its Senate companion, SB 150, boosts spending on safety upgrades for schools and to allow armed “guardians” to patrol private schools. The one amendment the Republican majority accepted from Democrats adds the names Chris Hixon, and Scott Beigel to the Aaron Fes Guardian Program, which allows school personnel to be armed.

The law was passed after the 2018 shooting at Parkland high school. Hixon and Beigel were teachers and among the 17 killed during a Valentine’s Day massacre.