Backyard Gun Range Bill Headed To Scott

February 8, 2016

The Florida House unanimously approved a bill aimed at curbing recreational shooting in residential areas. The bill (SB 130), which also unanimously passed the Senate last week, is ready to go to Gov. Rick Scott. The measure, in part, seeks to prevent backyard gun ranges in neighborhoods. Rep. Julio Gonzalez, R-Venice, said Wednesday that such backyard ranges are a problem in his Southwest Florida district and that police have been in a “quandary” about how to handle them. Rep. Darryl Rouson, a St. Petersburg Democrat who helped sponsor the bill in the House, said the measure is important for safety in urban areas and other densely populated residential areas. The bill creates a first-degree misdemeanor for people who recreationally fire weapons in areas with densities of one home per acre or greater. The bill includes exemptions for such things as firing weapons to defend life or property and for accidental discharges.

by The News Service of Florida

Comments

16 Responses to “Backyard Gun Range Bill Headed To Scott”

  1. chris in Molino on February 12th, 2016 10:31 pm

    @429SCJ
    Thats exactly the problem. It seems as if the only voices heard are the transplant yankees and yuppies. I feel like my three generations in Molino means nothing and folks wont be happy until theres a red light at every cross road to Hwy 29, a Walgreens, a Starbucks, a Wal-Mart, etc.
    I’m sadly in the process of becoming chris in Castleberry or Evergreen.

  2. 429SCJ on February 11th, 2016 3:40 am

    Transplants move to the country and expect their neighbors to change their lifestyle, to acomodate (accommodate) a Johnny-Come-Lately mentality.

    I have neighbors who target practice with center fire calibers, and yes they are loud, but I have no problems, as long as the hour is civilized. I would suggest .22 calibers in a target pistol, as the noise levels are low.

    Do not expect to change the lifestyle of those who precede you.

  3. David on February 10th, 2016 4:47 pm

    I am so glad I bought more than an acre in Cantonment. The Gov should veto and tell them that they will not pass it unless it also includes an opportunity to pass both Campus Carry and Open Carr.

  4. Jon on February 10th, 2016 8:10 am

    I hate to burst anyone’s bubble, but this new law is just re-writing the current one and not changing a thing! Has anyone even read the dang thing? Here is the exception in the law that still allows anyone to shoot in their backyard.

    This 20 subsection does not apply: 21
    (a) To a person lawfully defending life or property or performing official duties requiring the discharge of a firearm;
    (b) If, under the circumstances, the discharge does not pose a reasonably foreseeable risk to life, safety, or property;

    Notice section “b”. That means that if the bullet is not leaving your property and you are shooting safely, there’s still nothing that the person that doesn’t like can do!

  5. wet dog on February 10th, 2016 12:01 am

    Lead is a natural element. Pb is the symbol for lead in the periodic table of elements.

  6. vulcanrider on February 9th, 2016 5:44 pm

    All I asked for was some .17 HMR with freakin laser beams!

  7. Mark on February 9th, 2016 5:40 pm

    @Kate

    While your at it, you might as well add fishing sinkers and split-shot to your banned items list as they are made of lead, and those irresponsible fishermen are putting them directly into the water!!!!

  8. No Excuses on February 9th, 2016 3:53 pm

    @ Sedition – LOL!!! I think common sense should be used if you are not firing in a protected area. However, I do think some of the excuses to keep us from shooting are some of the most “Kool-aide drinking”, leftist idiocy I have ever read! Loved your response about going to outer space to make sure nothing was harmed.

  9. Sedition on February 9th, 2016 1:20 pm

    Oh, yea…that evil Chinese ammo. I have some. It has adamantium claws that project out from the sides, shoots laser beams and fires a phase plasma beam in the 40 kilowatt range. All this is fired from the dreaded .17 HMR platform with a choke adapter that allows it to be fired as a rail gun.
    Unfortunately, it can’t be fired on Earth. I have to jump into my double secret probation space shuttle and fire it from orbit…it’s the only way to be sure.

    As long as you have a direct line to the communist left hotline, could you find out what is in Yugoslavian and Russian ammo, because I have some of that too.

    Please keep posting. Your observations are funnier than the comics in the local rag…except for Baby Blues.

  10. Henry Coe on February 9th, 2016 1:20 pm

    re: to other comments, In south Florida, in many places, the water table is only a few feet down.
    If the lead from bullets getting in and below the water table is the primary concern of this bill, I don’t know. I think the real concern is in keeping the lead out of people.
    If you go to a gun range, there is a safety standard along with training. In a back yard, anyone with access to a weapon can fire it, there is no supervision and there is a much higher chance of people abusing substances while at home.
    If you live on multiple acres in agricultural areas without much dense population, this bill shouldn’t affect your situation.

  11. Kate on February 9th, 2016 8:24 am

    You laugh and think you know it all, but lead is processed and not natural when used in commercial products. It may have come from China and God knows whats in that bullet, but you cheap shooters don’t care. Just gotta play with my gun.

  12. Lance Brown on February 8th, 2016 11:34 am

    Lead in the soil from ammunition has to be one of the most asinine fallacies the progressive left has ever tried to sell. Looks like there’s one born every minute.

  13. Sedition on February 8th, 2016 10:27 am

    Ohhh…all that evil lead in the soil…

    Where does lead come from?
    FROM THE SOIL!

  14. M in Bratt on February 8th, 2016 7:34 am

    Kate; You will probably be disappointed when this law goes into effect because the density is probably less than one home per acre on everything north of Cantonment. Shooters should practice common sense, courtesy, and safety though.

  15. Kate on February 8th, 2016 6:33 am

    About time, so many shoot day and night around here. There has to be so much lead in the soil that I am surprised we aren’t like Flint Mich.

  16. chris in Molino on February 8th, 2016 4:11 am

    Of course, lets create a subculture of people. Suburbanite yuppies who are afraid of guns living in cookie cutter neighborhoods while forcing gun owners to the country (which I prefer anyway).
    If this was a local issue, why all the hoopla instead of just a county or municipal ordinance.