Florida- legislation to guarantee right to secure firearm in vehicle

[xsquidgator]

Just got an email alert from the NRA and have already messaged my State Rep and State Senator asking for support. This was proposed last session and was killed/failed within a week after the VT shootings. If you're a FL resident, please take the time to contact your state reps and senators to get them on board.

You can find your local officials' contact info here


Florida Legislation To Protect Your Right To Have A Firearm In Your Private Vehicle Has Been Filed

DATE: January 22, 2008
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
NRA Past President
Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida

The following bills have been filed to protect your constitutional and statutory right to have a firearm stored in your vehicle in a parking lot for self-defense and other lawful purposes. Please start contacting your Representative and Senator and ask him or her to cosponsor this critical legislation.

House Bill 503 by Greg Evers (R) (CO-SPONSORS) Mitch Needelman (R)
Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008: Creates "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008"; prohibits public or private entity from prohibiting customer, employee, or invitee from possessing any legally owned firearm that is lawfully possessed & locked inside or locked to private motor vehicle in parking lot; prohibits such entities from violating specified privacy rights by verbal or written inquiry or by search to ascertain presence of firearm within motor vehicle; prohibits certain actions by public or private entity against customer, employee, or invitee; prohibits employer from conditioning employment upon agreement by prospective employee that prohibits employees from keeping legal firearm locked inside motor vehicle; prohibits employer from attempting to prevent or prohibiting any customer, employee, or invitee from entering parking lot of employer's place of business when customer's, employee's, or invitee's motor vehicle contains legal firearm; prohibits employers from terminating employment of or otherwise discriminating against employee, or expelling customer or invitee, for exercising specified constitutional rights; provides specified immunity from liability; provides for enforcement of act; provides for award of costs & attorney's fees.

Senate Bill 1130 by Durell Peaden (R) Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008: Creates "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008"; prohibits public or private entity from prohibiting customer, employee, or invitee from possessing any legally owned firearm that is lawfully possessed & locked inside or locked to private motor vehicle in parking lot; prohibits such entities from violating specified privacy rights by verbal or written inquiry or by search to ascertain presence of firearm within motor vehicle; prohibits certain actions by public or private entity against customer, employee, or invitee; prohibits employer from conditioning employment upon agreement by prospective employee that prohibits employees from keeping legal firearm locked inside motor vehicle; prohibits employer from attempting to prevent or prohibiting any customer, employee, or invitee from entering parking lot of employer's place of business when customer's, employee's, or invitee's motor vehicle contains legal firearm; prohibits employers from terminating employment of or otherwise discriminating against employee, or expelling customer or invitee, for exercising specified constitutional rights; provides specified immunity from liability; provides for enforcement of act; provides for award of costs & attorney's fees.

 

[.cheese.]

I got this via email too.

I was wondering if this would apply to colleges/universities as well.

When I was in college at a well-known private school in Miami, I hated how I'd have to not have a firearm period during school days because even leaving it in my car was not allowed.

If this applied to colleges and universities it would better enable students who carry off campus to be able to do so without disruption.

somehow I don't think it covers this though.

 

[scurtis_34471]

Actually, I think this law would cover colleges and universities. The problem is that its unlikely to pass, because it is strongly opposed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, Disney and a bunch of other big business interests. This is the third attempt to put this law on the books.

 

[lacoochee]

It came close to passing last time. Anyways, keeping the pressure on is the only way to ever win in this type of fight, it will eventually pass.

They just need to keep the firearms part off of the bill and it would likely pass much more easily. Make it forbidden for any private business to search a vehicle, it would protect a lot more than guns at that point.

 

[mekender]

yeah, Disney, the largest employer in the US, universal, aneheiser busch will all oppose this one, and those 3 companies are directly responsible for a great % of the income to the state... sadly, that one probably wont pass

 

[Flyboy]

Remember, Oklahoma has already passed similar legislation, and it's still tied up in court. We lost in district court, and the state has appealed. To my knowledge, the appeal hasn't been heard (in fact, I'm not even sure the appeal was accepted; I only know that the Oklahoma AG announced his intent to appeal).

A lot of eyes on us; if we lose the appeal, the Tenth Circuit is out of the running for this protection. Florida is in the 11th Circuit; a circuit split could make life very interesting.