Ryan Ray
In its first meeting in preparation of the 2016 regular legislative Session, a Senate committee pulled the trigger on two bills to alter Florida’s state gun statutes on Wednesday. On a so-called “campus carry” bill to allow concealed weapons into higher education facilities, a House panel shortly followed suit.
First up was SB 130 sponsored by Sen. Garrett Richter, essentially this year’s version of Democrat Rep. Darryl Rouson‘s bill from last year to prevent residents of densely populated neighborhoods from discharging their guns at homemade gun ranges.
The bill faced some opposition from gun rights groups last year but National Rifle Association past president and Capitol stalwart Marion Hammer said outstanding issues has been worked out.
After Sen. Jeff Brandes raised concerns about the possible criminalization of accidental discharges under the measure, Hammer assured committee members the bill’s exceptions for celebratory discharges and non-intentional firing precluded such problems.
“Police chiefs worked on this issue… it deals only with recreational shooting in dense residential neighborhoods. Intentional discharge are not covered by the bill. It has nothing to do with accidents,” said Hammer.
“Frequently we all overthink some things – this was intended to give law enforcement some clarity that they asked for. NRA is happy to join the police chiefs in supporting this legislation.”
While it may not stop some homeowners from constructing “trashy” makeshift gun ranges, said Hammer – “that’s up to the homeowner’s association” – the bill will enable law enforcement to intervene if shots are discharged.
Sen. Audrey Gibson of Jacksonville said there was “tidying up” that needs to be done so the new law isn’t enforced in some neighborhoods and not others, she ultimately gave her support along with fellow Democrat Sen. Jeff Clemens.
The bill passed unanimously.
More controversial was committee chairman Sen. Greg Evers‘ SB 68, the so-called “campus carry” bill that would eliminate the current prohibition on concealed carry permit holders carrying their weapons into colleges and university facilities.
Opposition from gun control quarters and urban Democrats is expected to be stiff.
Clemens asked of the bill’s sponsor simply, “Why would we want to do that?”
“I don’t believe our constitutional rights should stop at a line in the sand,” was Evers reply.
Evers line of reasoning was bolstered by testimony from Professor Gary Kleck of the Florida State University College of Criminology.
Only a very small number of people with concealed carry permits ever commit violent crime, Kleck told panelists, a number smaller than the general population
Concealed weapons permit holders are “an extraordinarily law-abiding subset of people,” said Kleck, author of Point Blank and Armed: New Perspectives on Gun Control, citing studies that suggested that between 1987 and 2011, just seven per year committed a violent gun crime out of more than 850,000 Florida permits issued during that period.
“Defensive gun use is virtually never followed by injury. It is both frequent and effective, and it isn’t likely to be any less so just because they are on a college campus,” Kleck testified.
The criminologist said it a “low-scale debate” given the relative safety of college campuses but the appearance cards indicated that wasn’t so.
Of speakers waiving their testimony, the count was ten opposed to two in favor, unusually high totals for an early-stage committee hearing.
A University of Central Florida student and former Marine argued against the bill as did Tallahassee Community College President Jim Murdaugh, who said all 28 of Florida’s state colleges (formerly known as community colleges) are opposed to changes the existing statute.
“No credible evidence to suggest that students carrying concealed weapons would decrease crime on campus,” said Murdaugh, who also raised concerns about accidental discharge and increase suicide rates when more weapons are present in a given environment.
Proponents argued that an inordinate amount of gun crime have happened in gun-free zones like colleges.
“The plain truth is campuses are supposed to be gun-free zones. But the bad guys have guns and the good guys can’t protect themselves,” said Marion Hammer. “This bill is about restoring the right of self-defense on campus, but only for adults 21 years or older who have a license to carry. They are the safest element of our society.”
The bill passed with Democrats Clemens and Gibson casting “No” votes.
SB 68 moves onto the Senate Higher Education committee. The bill died last year in Judiciary, where Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla said the bill did not have the votes necessary to advance.
In the House, things broke down along similar lines.
HB 4001 by Rep. Greg Steube was also up before the House Criminal Justice subcommittee.
“Guns in students’ hands is not a rational component of campus safety,” said Jennifer Proffitt, president of FSU’s faculty union. “Adding more guns to a situation like the active shooter on my campus last year is like trying to put out a fire by throwing more fire onto it.”
“What’s all the opposition about?” asked Marion Hammer, appearing in back to back committees in support of the bill.
“It’s about fear. This is all emotional,” Hammer intoned.
Republican Rep. Ray Pilon also expressed concerns over the lack of enhanced qualifications absent in the bill for those who wish to carry on colleges and universities which exist in Steube’s bill to allow certain volunteers and teachers to carry weapons in K-12 facilities.
“In all deference to my NRA friends, I want to see this bill made better,” said Pilon.
The bill passed its first committee of reference by a count of 8-5, Pilon joining the panel’s Democrats in opposition.
