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Evers’ Gun Bill Changed To Remove College Campus Carry
March 10, 2011
The National Rifle Association and Sen. Greg Evers were handed defeat Wednesday when Florida Senate Republicans decided that guns have no place on college campuses.
Robert Cowie, father of a Florida State University student who died in an accidental shooting, gave emotional testimony in a Florida Senate committee two weeks ago about the death of his daughter, Ashley Cowie, 20, who died on January 9 after another student’s rifle accidentally discharged at a party.
When that same committee met Wednesday, it voted to dramatically change Evers’ open carry bill. The measure (SB 234) allowed concealed weapons permit owners to “open carry” their weapons. Until Wednesday, it would have also allowed carrying of weapons on college campuses.
The intent of the bill, explained Evers, who represents the North Escambia area, was to make it so someone with a concealed weapons permit would not get in trouble for accidentally allowing glimpses of their gun.
Evers said he was saddened by Cowie’s testimony earlier, but pointed out the bill wouldn’t have changed the circumstances of Cowie’s death. What he meant was the student who allegedly shot her was under 21, the minimum age for someone to have a concealed weapons permit.
Evers has said in previous media interviews that he believes bringing guns on to school campuses actually improves safety. He told the Tallahassee Democrat that he had “no reservations about pushing the bill.”
Sen. Paula Dockery, R-Lakeland, offered an amendment during the Senate Criminal Justice Committee meeting on Wednesday that essentially keeps current law as it applies to campuses, banning the carrying of guns at colleges.
Dockery said she had heard from many universities and parents of college students who were opposed to the bill. She doesn’t like the concept of allowing guns on college campuses because of the “maturity level,” she said.
“This bill has caused a lot of anguish for parents and college students,” Dockery said.
Prior to the amendment by Dockery, the bill was opposed by many Florida university police forces and business groups, but backed by the powerful National Rifle Association.
Now the bill allows people with concealed license permits to carry their guns in full view in stores but not at schools and other prohibited areas. Randy Miller, a lobbyist for the Florida Retail Federation, said he is still opposed to the bill because it allows concealed weapons permit holders to openly carry weapons in stores.
Cowie’s Senate testimony two weeks ago was so emotional it moved some in the audience to tears.
“Allowing guns in an atmosphere of college parties puts everyone involved at increased and undue risk,” Cowie told senators. “Would you feel more or less at risk today if I were carrying a gun?”
The committee ran out of time Wednesday and didn’t take a vote on the bill, though Evers said he would bring it up again at the committee’s next meeting.
Comments
20 Responses to “Evers’ Gun Bill Changed To Remove College Campus Carry”
I think open carry with license holders would be great. If a criminal enters a store and sees several people carrying, that might get them to change his/her mind to commit a crime. L.E.O.’s would see the weapon verses by not knowing when they approach someone.
By the way , somebody asked me what I was ’scared’ of by carrying a pistol. The classic answer is ‘nothing’, Really, I’m afraid of drunk drivers.
Seventeen years old…joined the Florida National Guard. Fresh out high school, two days after graduation, 1960, I am at Ft. Jackson, SC. Learned a lot about big guns. Learned to respect them. After two years of college, I eventually became a LEO. For over thirty -two years, I carried overtly, and after I retired, I said I would never carry a gun again. Well now, I’ve changed my mind. I am out there, 68 years old, and have a concealed permit. I’ll never let you know I have one until the need arises. I always am aware of my surroundings in a parking lot, or , any business. Oh, I know what Sigmund Freud said, but , he had to be a pretty sick puppy to think the way he did.
OK, if you carry in your purse. If you carry on your hip just bending over or reaching up may show a small portion of your weapon. I have carried on my hip for 20 years with no problem. 46 other states have this provision already in place with no problems, why not us? If you want stats you look it up. I don’t believe you have CWFL or you would be prone to protect peoples rights. Under your license number is a statement. It says who issued it. Who are they and who signed it?
Yes I do, since 10.1 1987 to 2.28.2011 their have been 1.96 million CWT permits issused in the state of Florida. 168 of 0.01% of those have had their permit pulled for a fire arm violation. The provision is in case some one freaks out and calls the law because they SAW a gun( and there are people who do that.) Why did we have to pass the castle doctrine? To make sure that when some one is invading our home that we do not have to retreat. To make sure, we as law abiding people do not get hung out to dry. You know if ever one would stop listing to the anti gun movement, the media, (which some how never gets it right) and read about how many people are saved, and educate themselves about fire arms and their use in this country. I do not think that we would be talking about this. How many gun stores are robbed with the owners there?
Oversight….if you truly do have a CCWL you should do a better job of educating yourself of the laws pertaining to it.
Keeping the firearm concealed is the permitted person’s responsibility. I’ve carried one for years and have never had an issue with an “accidental” display. The “open carry” proposal is not necessary; however, a small provision could be added to the current law for those who are accident prone if providing protection from arrest is such a huge concern. And if repeated exposure becomes a habit forming for a permitted person, then that individual’s carry permit should be revoked. By the way, just how many concealed carry permitted individuals have been arrested for an accidental exposure? Greg Evers hasn’t provided any numbers to help support his cause and besides, I don’t know of any; how about you?
Oversight,
Don’t you think that a vast majority of people who carry concealed think the same as you? They would never openly carry just because they could. The open carry provision is to protect them from felony charges should the gun be accidentally exposed. If you really have a CWFL and carry daily you know how this may occur. Your “wild west” statements are poster child catch phrases used on numerous occasions by the Brady campaign and their anti-gun agenda.
@ Just an old soldier you are spot on man. This is all about control and the Colleges you sited, if they had somone at the time to have been able to counter there probably would not have been as many dead. If a criminal knows you might possibly have a weapon he or she may think twice before trying to commit a crime. The point that has been brought up on here about the young Veterans is a valid point. They can probably out shoot any criminal and are more mature than any of the criminals on any said day. Again I think this is more about control than anything. Of course I am sorry for the father who lost his daughter. But because one person was stupid and over zealous that does not mean every one is or will be. By them doing what they are trying to do by striking this down they are penializing everyone. Just don’t think that to be fair. The anti gun lobbyist are going to try to take your rights away every chance they get and this is just one of them. It’s like cancer if you let it go it will spread wake up America it’s your rights now fight for them.
Open carrying of handguns by those who don’t have extensive adequate training is my concern and not the concealed carrying of handguns. As a matter of fact, I’m in favor of having a concealed carry weapon and trust me I don’t leave home without mine, ever. So be respectful and polite when you see me out in town. But having a bunch of open carry side arms running around a college campus is crazy. However, having a concealed handgun by a properly trained and licensed citizen should be authorized. Now consider how much training is required to get a concealed carry permit. It isn’t much because a hunter ed. course qualifies and how much hands on training is that – a few hours on one Saturday shooting a shotgun? That’s hardly the extensive training one should receive in order to carry, wouldn’t you agree? But that’s the law.
LOL, I love how every article I have read about this issue points out the immaturity of the college student. Reading between the lines, everyone is saying “We are scared of our college students, they are dumb and dangerous!”
That may be because we allow them every other freedom possible. This website does not allow us to post “vulgar, obscene or sexually related” stuff, but that is the norm on college campuses (and often in the classes).
So maybe we should protect society from college students. I propose putting them in prison until they earn their degree. That will keep the rest of us safe. After all they don’t stay on the campus. I run into them off campus all the time. Sometimes they run into me.
Oversight is just practicing their knee jerk, head in the sand option. People like Oversight are not willing to look at the truth of a proposal. They only go with their initial reaction and fears. That’s OK. The bill will pass after the amendments are in place. That is how these things work, give and take.
I remember Virginia Tech.
If there had been one armed adult, either a teacher or a student, to defend the defenseless, a great tragedy could have been averted.
An accidental death of a person by the discharge of a rifle is not what this bill was about. It’s about legal and permitted handgun owners being able to carry without harrassment by the gun-phobic Nervous Nellies.
There are plenty of mature, combat veterans on campus these days, some are students and some are teachers – it’s a shame that we can’t trust them a little and allow them their right to bear arms wherever they wish.
Remember VT
Remember UAH
“Gun Free” zones mean criminals have a place to bring havoc without interference.
Remember Virginia Tech.
Well to all those who did not agree with this bill, I would like for you to be the first ones to tell those who are victims of rape, car jacking, or any other crime . Just how much safer they are by not being able to protect them selves. What you want to bet, that they are not going to pat you on the back. Yep nothing like doing a campus lock down, putting them all in one room to be easy targets, And every body knows that a great line of defence a cell phone and a campus alert is. Makes you feel safer already, does it not? Because we all know that criminals always obey a (GUN FREE ZONE)
@ PensacolaEd
You are absolutely correct, sir!
Gun control favors criminals. Duh! How many criminals stop to consider what the law says? Imagine an armed robber stopping in the middle of the robbery and saying “Oh, I can’t do this. It’s against the law for me to have a gun!” Get real! Thank you, Mr Evers! Keep pushing to protect our rights…
Oversight, what you are forgetting is that this law would only apply to those individuals who ALREADY have a Conceald Carry Weapons Permit, meaning those over 21 who have already passed the requirements for CC. Those requirements exclude those with addictions to alcohol or drugs.
Everybody said that Florida would turn into the Wild West when Concealed Carry was passed… didn’t happen. Said the streets would run red with blood when the Castle Doctrine was passed….didn’t happen. If this law was passed, the only change would have been that ADULTS OVER 21 who are already CCW holders could carry on campus.
Campus police are against citizens being armed. What a shock. I can’t stand this anti-gun rhetoric from the government and using one person’s tear-jerker story to get everyone all emotional. Wake up people, we live in a tyrannical police state and it’s only a matter of time before your freedoms are all gone. Like a frog in a kettle. You’ll wake up one day and wonder what happened.
If my son were on campus and someone just starts firing at random,I would like for him or anyone to shoot dead the offender…….all gun laws do is keep law abiding citizens hands tied. If someone is going to shoot someone he is already intent on breaking the law. I think MY 2ND amendment right should allow me to carry, any gun anywhere i please……including church, schools, stores or anywhere else.
Sen?. Evers – OR – gun lob?
It’s about time common sense kicked in and this ill thought out bill proposal was “shot” down. College campus’ don’t need to become the wild west with a bunch of gun brandishing students trying to prove whose is bigger. Greg Evers needs to take a chill pill on his open gun carrying bills; we really don’t need them.