'Bear includes to show:' Open carry legislation filed in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Just one year after Florida lawmakers passed a law allowing people to carry guns concealed without a permit, a new bill has been filed that would allow take it one step further.

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Law abiding Floridians currently allowed to own a firearm would be able to carry their weapons openly in the state under the legislation filed by State Representative Mike Beltran (R-Apollo Beach).

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“The majority of states in the union have open carry and the current law in Florida puts us in the company of states like New York and California and Illinois,” Beltran said.

The legislation would apply to all firearms, not just handguns.

Related Story: Permitless carry takes effect in Florida Saturday, but it’s not a free pass to carry a gun anywhere

Patricia Brigham with Prevent Gun Violence Florida argued potentially allowing rifle-bearing citizens to openly carry in the streets would be a bad fit for the Sunshine State.

“It’s a terrible idea. Especially for the State of Florida, which is a tourism industry state,” Brigham said.

Optics aside, Brigham noted Beltran’s bill goes much further than simply allowing for open carry.

It also expands the locations where firearms can be possessed including school athletic events, college and university campuses, career centers, and even polling places.

“At the polling places for crying out loud. Talk about voter intimidation,” Brigham said.

Related Story: Despite new Florida gun law set to take effect, many still choosing to take concealed permit classes

Beltran countered the optics of open carry don’t outweigh what he sees as a right guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.

“When we look at the text of the 2nd Amendment, we see that it protects the right, not only to keep, but also to bear arms. And bear includes to show,” Beltran said.

Last year Senate President Kathleen Passidomo made it clear she had no interest in passing open carry legislation.

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Beltran’s bill hasn’t found a companion in the Senate, which Brigham said she hopes is a signal it may not be going anywhere this year.

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