Senate President Andy Gardiner has how publicly given the “green light” to committee hearings on the Campus Carry Bill (sb 176) despite his failing to endorse the legislation. but committee chairman Senator Diaz De La Portilla is still blocking the bill from coming up in the senate judiciary committee, where he seems to be the only republican who opposes it.
How do we know that? Republican senators Lizabeth Benacquisto, Jeff Brandes, David Simmons and Kelli Stargel have already voted in support of the bill in previous committees. We know sen. Aaron Bean and Wilton Simpson support the bill. That leaves Senator Diaz De La Portilla and three democrats who oppose the rights of concealed carriers to defend themselves on campus. So, is it Sen. Diaz De La Portilla and President Andy Gardiner who oppose your rights? or is it Sen. Diaz De La Portilla and the democrats?
In addition, Senators Rob Bradley, Greg Evers, Don Gaetz, John Legg, Joe Negron have all voted in favor of campus carry in previous committees. Which remaining republicans don’t want to vote to support the constitutional rights of 1.3 million law-abiding license holders in this state?
When bills are filed every year, we always know to expect opposition from legislative leaders when the bill is assigned to more than three committees. Additional committee assignments make it easy to run “out the clock” and keep a bill from getting to a floor vote. Senate President Andy Gardiner assigned the Campus Carry Bill (sb 176) to four committees.
Please immediately contact senators Diaz De La Portilla and Gardiner. Tell them that we deserve an up or down vote on campus carry!
About Florida Carry Inc.
Florida Carry, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the fundamental rights of all Floridians to keep and bear arms for self-defense as guaranteed by the second amendment to the United States constitution and Article I, sections 2 and 8 of the Florida constitution. Florida Carry stands to represent our supporters, members, and millions of defensive arms owners of Florida. We are not beholden to any national organization’s agenda that may compromise that mission. Florida carry works tirelessly toward striking down ill-conceived gun and weapons control laws that have been proven to provide safe havens to criminals and be deadly to law-abiding citizens.
