Legislative Shootout Brewing Over Doctor Gun Question Law

August 18, 2011

Get ready for another legislative shootout about the “Docs v. Glocks” law during the 2012 legislative session.

Rep. Rick Kriseman, D-St. Petersburg, filed a bill this week that would repeal a new law aimed at restricting doctors from asking patients about gun ownership. The law touched off a fierce lobbying fight during the 2011 session, pitting the National Rifle Association against doctors. Some doctors also have challenged the law in federal court.

The law says doctors and other health-care practitioners “shall respect a patient’s right to privacy and should refrain” from asking about gun ownership or whether people have guns in their homes. It also, however, says health providers may ask about guns if they believe in “good faith” that the information is relevant to a patient’s medical care or safety.

By The News Service of Florida

Comments

16 Responses to “Legislative Shootout Brewing Over Doctor Gun Question Law”

  1. 429SCJ on August 22nd, 2011 10:33 am

    How did we deal with these matters in the past, say the 40s and 50s, anyone remember? I do not remember school shootings and such, in the 60s and 70s. I thought we were supposed to be this great society, with a dream. It seems to be turning to a nightmare.

  2. Tracy on August 22nd, 2011 9:41 am

    Just, because the Doc. asks, does not mean we have to tell.

  3. All41 on August 20th, 2011 10:30 pm

    I agree our physicians should not inquire whether we have guns in our homes. Also, I do not believe our government should have a say in reference to a woman’s right to choose to abort or not. Keep the government out of our lives.

  4. All41 on August 20th, 2011 10:21 pm

    My physician should not inquire about guns in my home. I also feel the government should not inquire about abortions. Keep the government out of our lives.

  5. Bob hudson on August 19th, 2011 4:25 pm

    Do not agree or trust a doctor enough to tell him or her if I have a guns or not, not relative to my treatment, By the way , What Guns?

  6. JIM W on August 19th, 2011 3:33 pm

    Horay for David! You told it just the way it should have been told. Good job man. If you restrict guns then only criminals will have them. It’s not the guns thats the problem it’s the criminals who are the problem. God fearing gun carring citizens are not the ones whop you have to be concerned with they will only use it if in self defense.
    Jim for common sense!!

  7. Atmore G on August 18th, 2011 6:00 pm

    I really do not understand why some doctors feel it necessary to know whether or not their patients have a gun at home.. I know the argument that there is a danger to children in the home, but appliances, household chemicals, power tools, ladders and hundreds of other things are also dangerous and are usually not secured like guns are.. Maybe I’m missing something, but I do not believe we should allow doctors to invade our private lives for knowlege that is of no value that I can think of when it comes to treating their patients..

  8. David Huie Green on August 18th, 2011 3:53 pm

    REGARDING:
    “Get the government out of our houses and unless its a nut doctor asking about guns”

    So government should stay out of our lives unless someone else does something to which we object, at which point government should go in and punish the OTHER person?

    Makes perfect sense, other than the fact that everybody’s always the other person to somebody.

    David for nongovernmental interference
    other than to avoid harm
    and maybe not always then

  9. J D on August 18th, 2011 3:01 pm

    Get REAL people!!!!!!!! I was raised around guns and so was my son. If we even thought about touching the rifles or pistol without Daddy around we got ous asses beat!!!! Parents need to teach the kids to respect them and guns. They both go hand and hand. Get the government out of our houses and unless its a nut doctor asking about guns, its none of their business in the first place!!!!!!

  10. 429SCJ on August 18th, 2011 2:33 pm

    Kathy is ok, she just needs to take the long way home once in a while, I know I do. I did not mean to be insensitive.

  11. Fred on August 18th, 2011 1:49 pm

    Kathy,using your logic we need to add warning pictures to cars, trucks,and lawn mowers, or better yet lets just ban everything that can be misused and cause injury or death. Whatever happened to personal responsability and accountability
    for ones behavior. I have yet to see an inanimate object injure anyone without human intervention or stupidity.

  12. David Huie Green on August 18th, 2011 1:48 pm

    REGARDING:
    “I wonder why there are such horrible pictures on cigarette packs but nothing on a box that a gun is served up on.”

    And this is the problem: irrational fear of weapons, sometimes even particular weapons, leads others to have irrational fear everybody is trying to take their weapons away.

    The real fear should be of those who will use whatever weapon is at hand to hurt other people. You never know when someone will go nuts but it is silly to force him to kill you with a stick rather than a sword or a javelin. If you do that, the javelin throwers rule the roost.

    As to the pictures on the cigarettes, that is to counteract the idea that smoking will make you look cool and sophisticated. Seeing my father with a hole in his throat due to cancer of the larynx convinced a number of potential smokers that they didn’t want to look like that.

    A picture of a dead person with a hole in him doesn’t tell you what tool was used to make that hole — nor does it matter. The tool user is the problem.

    David for reality, not paranoia

  13. 429SCJ on August 18th, 2011 12:03 pm

    Amen Kathy. I wish they would put pictures on hatchetts, steak knives and neurotic individuals. BOO!

  14. tallyho on August 18th, 2011 10:37 am

    Just tell the punks and tuggs hanging out in the parking lots that your cannot defend your self and your wife are yourself cannot not go anywhere until you scope the area out. This has nothing to do with the medical profession.

  15. Kathy on August 18th, 2011 8:10 am

    Ever’s who is the lobbyist legislator for the NRA is now serving on a committee concerning reporting child abuse. Scarey!! I wonder why there are such horrible pictures on cigarette packs but nothing on a box that a gun is served up on. Look at how horrendous death is by a GUN!!

  16. bama54 on August 18th, 2011 8:10 am

    Just tell the Doc you don’t own a gun and let it go. You may own a dozen guns, but do like the criminals (don’t tell the truth either).