Rick Scott Promises to Sign Open Carry Bill for Florida
OpenCarry.org
(A pro-gun Internet community of over 22,000 registered members)
For Immediate Release – October 17, 2010
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Rick Scott Promises to Sign Open Carry Bill for Florida
Alex Sink Campaign Treats Open Carry Organizers like DMV Customers
Florida Open Carry to Hold “Open Carry Fish-Ins”
on Nov. 6th in Jacksonville, Tampa, Daytona, St. Augustine, and Ft. Myers
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Florida is one of only 7 states banning the open carry of properly holstered handguns, but apparently that doesn’t bother Florida’s Democratic candidate for Governor, Alex Sink, or her campaign managers.
Over the last two weeks Sink’s campaign staffers have stiff-armed repeated requests from both OpenCarry.org and Florida Open Carry for her position on restoring open carry rights in Florida. The question put to them was pretty straight forward:
“If a future legislature passed a bill restoring open carry rights in Florida, would a Governor Sink be inclined to sign it?”
Sink’s staffer “Jasmine” told Florida Open Carry’s Sean Caranna that the issue would need further “staffing and research” and that Jasmine did not know which department was handling the request but regardless, "you will just have to wait for them to get back to you.”
“It was like talking to the DMV,” said Caranna, noting that “this late in the campaign you’d think the Sink people would be more on the ball regarding major public policy questions like gun rights.”
But it didn’t take long for Republican Rick Scott to provide a position on open carry. Within hours of OpenCarry.org’s inquiry last week, the Scott campaign provided this remarkably straightforward statement from Mr. Scott on the open carry issue:
“As a member of the NRA and a hunter, I’m a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and I will protect our fundamental right to keep and bear arms. Florida is one of only seven states with wide prohibition on carrying an unconcealed firearm. Repealing the ban on unconcealed or Open Carry will eliminate practical and constitutional problems in Florida.”
According OpenCarry.org’s John Pierce,
"The choice before Florida gun owners on November 2d is very stark. Voters must choose between a candidate with her head in the sand on gun rights, or Rick Scott who is clearly NOT in the closet when it comes to gun rights.”
Meanwhile, no matter who wins the governor’s race, open carry organizers in Florida are driving on with both (1) an online petition to restore Florida open carry rights at http://open-carry.com/index.php?option=com_wrapper&view=wrapper&Itemid=63
and (2) open carry “fish-in” events on Nov. 6th in Jacksonville, Tampa, Daytona, St. Augustine, and Ft. Myers; see http://www.meetup.com/Florida-Open-Carry/calendar/list/
NOTE 1: Currently Floridians who want to open carry must be fishing or en-route to/from fishing; no gun carry permit required, only a fishing license.
NOTE 2: Florida Open Carry’s Sean Caranna will speak at the Tea Party sponsored “Florida State Wide Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Rally” (on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at Orlando City Hall from noon till 2:00 p.m) about the effort to pass an Arizona-style open carry law to allow the people of the state of Florida to openly carry handguns without any permit.
See more at http://cflrepublicans.blogspot.com/2010/10/orlando-tea-party-and-south-florida-tea.html.
Carry on!
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