HB 543 allows people to carry concealed weapons without a permit
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Senate is taking up a bill to allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit right now. The bill, HB 543, already passed the Florida House.
Meanwhile, an Orlando state senator is hoping her amendment to the bill regarding the safe storage of weapons will be considered.
State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, filed an amendment to the Public Safety bill, making it a felony if a child were to get their hands on a gun that wasn’t safely stored, then fired it and hurt themselves or someone else.
“Sometimes it takes penalties to push the issue to the proper position, and I think that this might just do that,” said Stewart.
Here’s what the amendment does:
It would require that firearms are safely stored
It also raises penalties if a child were to get their hands on a gun that isn’t safely stored
For example, current law says if a child is able to gain access to a firearm, it’s a second-degree misdemeanor. This amendment would now make it a first-degree misdemeanor if a child was able to access an improperly stored gun, and a third-degree felony if the child fires that gun, hurting themselves or someone else
“There have to be some higher consequences because we need to make sure that parents and those who have guns that are around children, that they store them properly,” said Stewart.
She said her amendment was prompted by shootings in the last few years in which children have gotten hold of guns.
For example, in Volusia County in February, deputies say a 3-year-old boy shot and killed himself, after getting hold of a firearm that was in a bedroom nightstand.
And in Seminole County in 2021, police say a woman was accidentally shot by a toddler while on a Zoom call.
Charges haven’t been brought in either case, according to law enforcement.
“We hope that it reduces the amount of times a child gets their hands on a gun. We hope that this will do that, and that’s the purpose of the whole amendment,” Stewart said.
We will let you know the outcome of the vote today.
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