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Evers’ Open Carry Bill Passes Justice Committee
March 15, 2011
Amid protests by law enforcement groups, the Senate Civil Justice Committee voted Monday to pass Greg Evers’ SB 234, which allows concealed gun permit holders to carry their weapons openly.
The vote was 3-2, with two Democratic senators voting against it. The bill was amended last week to exclude concealed weapons holders from carrying guns on college or private school campuses following emotional testimony by the father of an accidental shooting victim. The fate of the bill is uncertain.
Sen. Charlie Dean, R-Inverness, a former sheriff, voted for the measure but said he would vote against it if it reaches the Senate floor. Dean said he was concerned about how the bill impacts law enforcement officers attempting to police people with guns.
“It is hard for that responding officer to make a split-second decision about good guys and bad guys,” Dean said. Groups such as the National Rifle Association are in favor of the bill, arguing that it prevents someone from being charged with a crime when a concealed weapon is accidentally shown.
SB 234 still must be heard by the Judiciary and Rules committees.
Comments
34 Responses to “Evers’ Open Carry Bill Passes Justice Committee”
I forgive you, I would even if you weren’t armed
DHG – I stand corrected, your post did not say “CCW Holders” get cranky and start blasting. My mistake.
REGARDING:
“David,
Why do keep referring to yourself in the third party? And what is the difference if I open carry or conceal.”
Just because I like to do so. And I only do it on the closing.
Also, it’s called third person. First person is me, myself, I things like that.
Second person is you, your, things like that.
Third person is he, she, it, David, things like that.
The difference between open carry and concealed is whether or not others can see that you are carrying a weapon.
David answering questions
David said….
I wish I lived in a more literate society. I have never said every ccw holder is “hot-headed”. I haven’t even used the term “ccw”.
I said….
I am surely in 100% agreement with you on this. I have people commenting on my posts who don’t even know what I said to begin with. Especially if I was trying to be reasonable.
Looks like you are having the same issue. Good luck with it.
David,
Why do keep referring to yourself in the third party? And what is the difference if I open carry or conceal. Either way, I’m carrying ALWAYS. Wether you can see it or not bares no relevance. Think about it…And to all the other antigun fanatics. You go threw a major screening to hold that license. If you get in any trouble at all, you loose your permit. We are held to a higher standard.
REGARDING:
“Not every ccw holder is, as you say “hot-headed”.
I wish I lived in a more literate society. I have never said every ccw holder is “hot-headed”. I haven’t even used the term “ccw”.
What I have said is that there are nuts and some of them will be armed whether or not it is legal. The only question is whether or not others will retain their constitutionally protected rights.
David for remedial reading if needed
REGARDING:
“As far as whether allowing open carry of firearms makes for a more polite society, well, I suppose we could ask folks in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Tombstone or Lincoln County about that. – - – For example, if my church votes to bar guns from services do we have that right? Or, as I asked Greg Evers in a previous “discussion”, can I carry my shotgun to church or am I limited to my .357?”
I know I would try to be polite around the folks you listed. Of course, I always TRY to be polite anyway.
The question about churches, though, shouldn’t be one for the government to be involved in. Each church should be free to decide for itself. (although I personally prefer shotguns, easier on poor shots)
David for separation of church and state,
lest they ordain our ministers,
define our doctrines
Dear Mr. D.H. Green, In the cases you mentioned, had there been more ccw holders in the area, many of these cases could have been rectified (not all) to less loss of life. Not every ccw holder is, as you say “hot-headed”. There are hundreds if not thousands of respectable, trained people (many retired military, police officers, and other security positions) which could possibly save the life of you or a loved one, and would do so without hesitation in one of your listed circumstances. I can only hope that if I, or a friend/loved one are ever in one of your listed situations, there may be a responsible ccw holder present. Open carry not only provides that split second advantage, it also is easier for everyone, including law enforcement to spot a weapon. In your mentioned cases, had firearms been visible on more hips, it could have POSSIBLY been a deterrent in itself.
I have kind of a liberal attitude on guns (and marijuana).
My thinking is anyone should be allowed to carry firearms (or weed) outside or inside their pants (or skirt) at any time. After a while, we would know what the effects on society would be. Then we could change or adjust the law as needed. The only issue I see is with groups that a person chooses voluntarily to join. Should those groups be allowed to regulate firearms?
For example, if my church votes to bar guns from services do we have that right? Or, as I asked Greg Evers in a previous “discussion”, can I carry my shotgun to church or am I limited to my .357? I hope that question doesn’t result in my being branded as a Godless Commie.
As far as whether allowing open carry of firearms makes for a more polite society, well, I suppose we could ask folks in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Tombstone or Lincoln County about that.
REGARDING:
■PensacolaEd,
“David Huie Green,, you said, ” Too often a cranky person whips out a concealed weapon and starts blasting away.”. I challenge you to name one time when that has happened, anywhere at any time. – - – Statements like this, with no facts to support them really do not belong in any intelligent discussion about gun control or gun laws, but only serve to illustrate that you are basing your position on opinion and fallacy, and not on facts.”
You’re kidding me, right?
Let’s see, there was a Muslim psychiatrist at Fort Hood, went to shooting folks, killed 13 I believe it was.
Some nut job shot Gabrielle Giffords and a federal judge and a little girl named Green and a bunch of other people.
A student named Cho decided to shoot up a Virginia college, killing many in the process.
Panama City school board meeting, nutcase didn’t kill but shot up the place and easily could’ve had he not been killed.
Gainesville October 2010 two dead (not counting the shooter, since Satan can count him), five wounded.
Jason Rodriguez , Orlando November 2009, shot up the engineering firm where he used to work, killed one wounded 5.
I forget the details but remember someone shooting up a school and a student stopped him while he was stopped killing to reload. (I know you won’t count it since I forget the details, but such is life.)
Did they have concealed carry permits? Beats me, don’t even care, never made that claim. They DID have concealed weapons, did shoot and/or kill.
Have I met your challenge? Or are you still maintaining nobody needs to be armed because such people don’t exist?
David in a dangerous world
with a few armed and insane
I carry everywhere I am allowed.
There is an old saying.
Rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it..
YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE NOR WHEN YOU MAY NEED IT !!
I have had a concealed carry permit for over 5 years and rarely carry. But, in the few places I feel I need to, I am covered by being permitted, if an incident ever occurs.
The Summer months make it difficult to conceal a weapon. Being my attire is usually a Tee shirt and shorts. There are some nifty holsters out there for concealment, but still a pain compared to the Winter months when I wear a heavy Jacket. So, in most cases I just keep the weapon in my vehicle, which anyone that can own a gun LEAGALLY can do if it the gun is “securely incased”.
IE, in a glove box or console. There is no “3 point Move ” rule anymore. So you can carry it loaded and ready to go.
My Children have been around Guns all of there life. At a young age they learned both the Dangers and benefits of weapons. As well as how to safely load, unload and use one.
What is sad, my Daughter, an “A” honor student, will have to wait until she is 21 to defend herself with a firearm while traveling to work and college.
Well,,, leagally anyway.
David Huie Green,, you said, ” Too often a cranky person whips out a concealed weapon and starts blasting away.”. I challenge you to name one time when that has happened, anywhere at any time. There are more than 1 million CCW HOlders in Florida currently, and I have never EVER heard of one of them opening fire for any reason other than self-defense.
CCW Holders have about the lowest rate of crime among any group. As a CCW Holder myself, I find it terribly offensive thay anyone could think that we take our right to carry so lightlly, that we would reach for our weapon merely because we are cranky.
Statements like this, with no facts to support them really do not belong in any intelligent discussion about gun control or gun laws, but only serve to illustrate that you are basing your position on opinion and fallacy, and not on facts.
Way to go Greg evers!!! This picture can be painted many different ways but the bottom line here is it is our Constitutional Right to be able to bear arms. Our fore fathers thought ahead and fought for that right along with many other Veterans in America. Thank goodness our forefathers had the fore thought to do so or the factions who keep trying to take this right away would dictating differently right now.
If every criminal knew each citizen had a weapon. And that citizen knew how to use it do you not think they may just stop and realize they may get shot if they try something? Yep, kind of think so. Just saying.
Yep I see where you’re coming from now. I’m sure a lot of people would try to argue that only applies to being allowed to own weapons. But I see what you were trying to say now.
REGARDING:
“The problem with that statement is that it is NOT legal in the state of Florida to OPEN CARRY. I’m currently stationed in New Mexico which is an Open Carry state. You can’t conceal your weapon here unless you have a Concealed Carry License.”
I’m assuming you’re right, just applying logic here.
You have a constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. I can’t think of but two ways to bear arms: openly or hidden. Hidden for some reason requires a concealed Carry License. Okay. If it does, it does. That leaves only the other way to bear arms: openly.
Therefore, logically speaking, that must be the constitutionally protected way to bear arms and no law should be required.
You see my point?
David still wondering why a law is required
to permit that which can not be outlawed
David Huie Green – I just wanted to point something out in one of your statements. You said ” Thus, the law makes no sense to me–not because you shouldn’t be able to do so but because you already can. Thus, I’m pretty sure I’m missing something since it makes no sense to pass a law to make something legal which is already legal.” The problem with that statement is that it is NOT leagel in the state of Florida to OPEN CARRY. I’m currently stationed in New Mexico which is an Open Carry state. You can’t conceal your weapon here unless you have a Concealed Carry License. These two areas are totally different. And like one of these people stated on here, those of us who are Licensed to carry concealed in the state of Florida, can get in big trouble right now if our weapons are exposed.
This is for everyone else on here. Your average CCW holder isn’t someone to fear. Why do I carry? Why does my wife carry? Why do those that I know carry? It’s to PROTECT my family, friends, and those around me. We may be able to protect you guys who do not want us to have the right to carry. We do not seek violence but we are ready to put an end to it if our safety or the safety of those around us in danger.
Please” Please,”Try and understand,
This bill is not about Right to bear Arms”,..
Its about,…. simply, “Clothing”!
“Concealed Carry” with a Florida licence or CCW for short, is already Completely
Legal,in Florida,.
What is completely “illegal” is the accidental,
“REVEALING” of your Holster”!
This is wrong!
I was wrongly accused of wearing an unhidden concealment holster
when i forgot to put my cover sweater back on in 98% Humidity in June
and had to endure 4 Young cops in my driveway trying to figure out if
I was a criminal for having a CCW licence and A Holster on my belt
that my paranoid neighbor saw me wearing in my driveway.
I am not a criminal,
“My shirt choice
should not be what makes my CCW licence legal”.
Florida is the Sunshine State, That means it’s Hot here most of the year,..
Asking Legal CCW licence’s to ware Jackets and sweaters all the time to be “Legally Concealed”
is galacticly wrong,…
This Bill is simply to remove the “wrong Clothing” aspect of Legal carry.
Too bad getem, get over it. People are carrying and have been for decades. This bill is only to protect those who may accidentally expose their weapon, which is illegal now. 46 other States have this open carry provision on the books. 92% of Americas population are in open carry States. It’s no big deal. No responsible license holder wants to expose his weapon just because they can. Since you have never noticed anyone around you carrying apparently it works. This bill will give them the same protections that are already in place in a vast majority of this country.
REGARDING:
“This would not even be Dodge city as the sheriff there didn’t allow anyone but himself or his deputy to carry a gun, THAT is how you protect your citizens from outlaws.”
Wouldn’t that situation leave all at the mercy of the sheriff and his deputy? There have been crooked and abusive law enforcement officers and leaders in the distant past. Remember Pol Pot. Think Gadhaffi.
Even assuming perfect people for police types, they would have to successfully disarm all people without getting shot in the attempt. If they failed, the people under that system would be at the mercy of the one who shot the sheriff. There’s no backup system in case the single source of safety system’s primary protection fails.
“OTHERWISE IT IS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF RIGHT IN TOWN”
Once again, you’re assuming nobody would care for and protect each other. Why? What situation in history indicates neighbors wouldn’t look out for each other? that each would turn his hand against his neighbor, his friend, his kin?
“I’m sorry but I don’t want the guy behind me carrying and I don’t want to see it.”
So if you could be sure the person behind you was unarmed, you would be happy, but failing that you just don’t want to know if he is or isn’t? Interesting philosophy.
David for knowledge
“It is hard for that responding officer to make a split-second decision about good guys and bad guys,” Dean said.
That’s easy, Charlie. The law abiding citizen keeps the gun in the holster, or lays it on the ground and steps away from it when asked by the LEO. That’s SOP for most law enforcement folk.
The legal gunowners that carry, only carry for self defense. A gun in a holster of a law abiding citizen is no threat at all, no more than a gun on a table or a bench.
Good job, Greg Evers!
BULL we are NOT TRYING to have a wild west here. This would not even
be Dodge city as the sheriff there didn’t allow anyone but himself or his
deputy to carry a gun, THAT is how you protect your citizens from outlaws.
OTHERWISE IT IS EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF RIGHT IN TOWN
I’m sorry but I don’t want the guy behind me carrying and I don’t want
to see it.
regarding:
“WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY ANYONE NOT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DISPLAY THEIR WEAPON”
It’s not a matter of NEED. It’s a matter of “get to”. Everybody who’s not a convicted felon or nutcase has a legal right to bear arms. (The others just do it illegally and always will.) You need a permit to carry concealed weapons. You get in trouble waving weapons in a threatening manner, so what’s left? Open carry.
Thus, the law makes no sense to me–not because you shouldn’t be able to do so but because you already can. Thus, I’m pretty sure I’m missing something since it makes no sense to pass a law to make something legal which is already legal.
Beyond that, though, it’s good for others around the person bearing arms to know he or she is bearing arms. Too often a cranky person whips out a concealed weapon and starts blasting away. Had these around the shooter known, they could have left the scene, stopped doing whatever was making the shooter cranky or prepare their own arms for a proper shootout.
It’s been written that an armed society is a polite society. The idea is that you don’t want to make somebody mad when all have the power to make small holes in your body from across the room, so you’re polite to them. In the old (fictional) westerns everybody was shooting everybody but history paints a different picture with even the most notorious gunfighters avoiding shootouts whenever possible. After all, guns jam, blow up or stick in the holster. Cartridges misfire. Shots miss. Too many things can go wrong.
David for polite people
Do criminals ask permission to commit crimes? People should have the freedom to open carry, store owners should have the right to post signs and prohibit open carry in their stores, if they wish.
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHY ANYONE NOT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT NEEDS TO DISPLAY THEIR WEAPON
Maybe we should be more concern with taking guns away from the criminals, instead of loading-up with more guns, get rid of the loop holes!
Now the hot heads will not only get to run up my bum, they will get to
show me their weapons. Thats just swell.
Now I’ll be going though a grocery store and worring who the guy
is with the holster and gun on behind me. After all I don’t know him so
is he a criminal or a good guy? How will we know? I can see I’m
going to have ulcers over this one.
Great job Greg, keep up the good work, about time some one took up for us. some where there is a criminal element going, Well time to leave Florida!
Glad to see that, with everything else that is going on, Mr. Evers has his priorities straight with being most concerned with such unneccessary legislation.
My personal unprofessional opinion they should give away concealed weapon permits upon request or at least make it easier and more affordable to carry a weapon for self defense ,Everybody knows the crooks ,meth heads ,all the cock roaches of the country are gonna have there guns ,how many meth heads have a concealed weapon permit ,,,the outlaws will always have there weapons and the average person wants to be a law abideing citizen and either cant afford the 180.00 for the permit or dont know how to obtain it because it is so complicated ,and ends up shot ,robbed or raped ,,,Its pitiful But true
nonsense…you need to remember that CCW people are already carrying. Were behind you in the grocery store line and eating at the same restaurants. All the crime you see being committed isn’t done by people whom hold a legal right to do so. Believe me they will take you license away quickly. If your hot headed and loose your cool that quickly, you will end up in some sort of trouble and loose your right to carry.We are held by a much higher standard than others, because we have be educated and have no excuse.
All the worrying about gun rights and forgetting common sense. More guns you have on the streets the more crimes (don’t we see this happening now). The highways and shopping areas, how often do you see rude behavior? What will make your temper boil? HOT HEADS ===== SHOOTINGS!
It’s important to remember that the ONLY thing this Bill does is allw those who are ALREADY licensed for concealed carry to also carry openly. It does NOT give ordinary citizens the right to carry openly.
Let’s hear it for gun rights. I am always weary of carrying a weapon for fear of being questioned,or harrassed for my decision. This bill will give honest citizens more freedom to defend themselves.