TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) – Ever since September 25th, Floridians are free to openly carry firearms, but this new move brought concerns about inconsistencies with the state’s current gun laws.
“The question going forward is, what do we do in lieu of the court ruling?” said House Representative Sam Garrison, (R-Fleming Island).
Back in September, the First District Court of Appeals struck down the state’s open carry ban. That law originally worked in tandem with Florida statute that governs the carrying of concealed weapons.
“The problem is, we have some statutes that were written based on open carry being banned in the state of Florida, so they’re wording now doesn’t really make sense and there’s kind of some cleanup work that needs to be done,” said State Representative Christine Hunschofsky, (D–Parkland).
Hunschofsky says the court’s decision unintentionally created a loophole that may allow individuals to openly carry long-guns into places where handguns remain prohibited, like school board meetings or courthouses.
“Now you have a lot of city governments and county governments making alternative plans in case somebody does show up and wants to enter the chamber where they’re having a meeting with an AR-15,” said Hunchofsky.
This confusion has led state leaders such as Attorney General James Uthmeier and sheriffs like Grady Judd to call on lawmakers to “tighten” the state’s gun laws.
“When you pluck a piece of that out, like the appellate court did, without the opportunity to shore up the rest of it, it makes the rest of the law a little wonky,” said Judd.
Sheriff Judd says he’s spoken to the governor’s office, Senate President and House Speaker about addressing these concerns next session.
Republicans at the statehouse say, they are currently working on a balance of protecting the right to bear arms, while also address these new concerns and prioritizing public safety.
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