In the News
FACT CHECK: DeSantis’s Permitless Carry Push is Dangerous for Florida
In yet another effort to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base, Ron DeSantis is pushing to make it easier for criminals to carry weapons. At DeSantis’s urging, Republicans are now moving a permitless carry bill through the legislature, despite the safety concerns of Floridians and law enforcement officials.
HERE ARE THE FACTS:
- Florida law enforcement officers have come out against permitless carry citing the increased risk for law enforcement officers and citizens alike, describing it as a “recipe for disaster.”
- A new report shows that DeSantis-endorsed open carry would make it even easier for criminals to have guns and increase the chances for gun violence.
- DeSantis’s permitless carry bill would allow people convicted of one or more first-degree violent misdemeanors to carry a concealed weapon.
- DeSantis is pushing for this legislation even as his team worked behind the scenes to ban guns from a campaign event in Tampa last November.
- This push comes after DeSantis used his new book to brag about his opposition to gun safety laws that were signed into law by former Republican governor Rick Scott in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting.
- In addition, the bill removes existing training requirements for those who carry concealed weapons, further undermining gun safety in the Sunshine State.