Reprinted with permission from Unified Sportsmen of Florida.
ALERT! Church Carry bill to be heard on House Floor
DATE: March 22, 2021
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President
YOUR HELP IS ESSENTIAL!
LEGISLATORS DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND UNLESS YOU TELL THEM.
On Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 2:00pm, the full Florida House of Representatives will meet and will hear HB-259 Sponsored by Rep. Jayer Williamson & Rep. Cord Byrd HB-259has been amended to make a good bill much better. It is now a bill that simply RESTORES the private property rights of religious institutions AND the self-defense rights of people who go to church. Click here to review the revised bill: Revised Church Carry bill
Church goers, who are licensed by the state to carry firearms for self-defense, are currently being deprived of the same rights they have when they go shopping, go into a business, or onto any other private property. This bill fixes that.
PLEASE IMMEDIATELY EMAIL THESE REPRESENTATIVES URGING THEM TO VOTE YES ON HB-259! THEY NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!
In the subject line put: Vote YES on HB-259 Safety of Churches!
ASK them to PLEASE vote YES on HB-259 Safety of Churches, when it comes up on the Floor on Thursday, March 25, 2021.
(Block and Copy All email addresses into the "Send To" box)
Vance.Aloupis@myfloridahouse.gov
Thad.Altman@myfloridahouse.gov
alex.andrade@myfloridahouse.gov
Bryan.Avila@myfloridahouse.gov
Webster.Barnaby@myfloridahouse.gov
Melony.Bell@myfloridahouse.gov
Mike.Beltran@myfloridahouse.gov
David.Borrero@myfloridahouse.gov
Adam.Botana@myfloridahouse.gov
chuck.brannan@myfloridahouse.gov
James.Buchanan@myfloridahouse.gov
Colleen.Burton@myfloridahouse.gov
Demi.BusattaCabrera@myfloridahouse.gov
Mike.Caruso@myfloridahouse.gov
Linda.Chaney@myfloridahouse.gov
Chuck.Clemons@myfloridahouse.gov
Nick.DiCeglie@myfloridahouse.gov
Wyman.Duggan@myfloridahouse.gov
Tom.Fabricio@myfloridahouse.gov
JuanF.Barquin@myfloridahouse.gov
Elizabeth.Fetterhoff@myfloridahouse.gov
Jason.Fischer@myfloridahouse.gov
Sam.Garrison@myfloridahouse.gov
Mike.Giallombardo@myfloridahouse.gov
Michael.Grant@myfloridahouse.gov
Tommy.Gregory@myfloridahouse.gov
Joe.Harding@myfloridahouse.gov
Fred.Hawkins@myfloridahouse.gov
Blaise.Ingoglia@myfloridahouse.gov
Sam.Killebrew@myfloridahouse.gov
Traci.Koster@myfloridahouse.gov
Chip.LaMarca@myfloridahouse.gov
Chris.Latvala@myfloridahouse.gov
randy.maggard@myfloridahouse.gov
Amber.Mariano@myfloridahouse.gov
Ralph.Massullo@myfloridahouse.gov
Stan.McClain@myfloridahouse.gov
Lawrence.McClure@myfloridahouse.gov
Fiona.McFarland@myfloridahouse.gov
Lauren.Melo@myfloridahouse.gov
Toby.Overdorf@myfloridahouse.gov
bobby.payne@myfloridahouse.gov
Daniel.Perez@myfloridahouse.gov
Jenna.Persons@myfloridahouse.gov
Scott.Plakon@myfloridahouse.gov
Rene.Plasencia@myfloridahouse.gov
Paul.Renner@myfloridahouse.gov
Spencer.Roach@myfloridahouse.gov
Will.Robinson@myfloridahouse.gov
Anthony.Rodriguez@myfloridahouse.gov
Anthony.Sabatini@myfloridahouse.gov
Michelle.Salzman@myfloridahouse.gov
jason.shoaf@myfloridahouse.gov
Tyler.Sirois@myfloridahouse.gov
David.Smith@myfloridahouse.gov
John.Snyder@myfloridahouse.gov
Chris.Sprowls@myfloridahouse.gov
cyndi.stevenson@myfloridahouse.gov
Jackie.Toledo@myfloridahouse.gov
Josie.Tomkow@myfloridahouse.gov
Dana.Trabulsy@myfloridahouse.gov
Keith.Truenow@myfloridahouse.gov
Jay.Trumbull@myfloridahouse.gov
Kaylee.Tuck@myfloridahouse.gov
jayer.williamson@myfloridahouse.gov
clay.yarborough@myfloridahouse.gov
Ardian.Zika@myfloridahouse.gov
BACKGROUND
By law, under Florida Statutes in s.790.06 law-abiding citizens may receive licenses to carry concealed weapons and firearms (CWL) for lawful purposes. Places where license holders are NOT AUTHORIZED to carry firearms are listed in s.790.06(12). Nothing in that section prohibits license holders from carrying in churches, synagogues or other religious institutions.
Nonetheless, anti-gun agitators have inserted language in other parts of the statutes that has been interpreted to prohibit firearms in religious institutions if any kind of child care is ever conducted, at anytime, on the private property of the church, synagogue or other religious institution. That means if child care is conducted Monday-Friday from 9-5, no firearms are EVER allowed at any time including on Saturday or Sunday or any holiday.
This bill will put a stop to that and will allow license holders to carry on church property (just like any other private property) unless the church prohibits it.
There are over 2 Million firearms license holders in our state. They are around children all day, everyday, in places where parents take children shopping or anywhere outside the home. They pose no danger to children or anyone else. Nobody even knows who is and who is not carrying.