At the same time some in Florida hope to push the state legislature to tighten up gun rights, some in the state have other plans. After all, Flordia is still a fairly pro-gun state, even if they’ve slipped up significantly in the recent past. It’s unsurprising that pro-gun lawmakers and supporters would continue trying to expand freedoms even after such falls.

The latest attempt? It’s one that’s bound to rile up anti-gun folks throughout the state.

A bill was introduced that would make Florida a constitutional carry state.

 Central Florida Republican lawmaker says gun owners should not need a permission slip to carry a concealed weapon.

State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, R-Howey-in-the-Hills, has filed a bill that would remove the required license for lawful gun owners.

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“Today I filed HB 273, which deletes the requirement that a person obtain a permission slip from government before concealing a weapon for their self-defense—also known as “Constitutional Carry.” Our Second Amendment right should not be determined by a government bureaucracy,” Sabatini said on Twitter.

Sabatini also filed a campus carry bill last month.

There has been some effort in recent years to pass constitutional carry in the state. It’s likely that Parkland made supporting that measure politically untenable for some lawmakers. However, at some point, the issue needs to be addressed. My hope is that Sabatini’s bill advances and gets passed.

So what happens if it does?

Well, one group that will feel a bit of a sting will be firearms trainers. Currently, Florida requires those applying for permits to undergo training prior to one being issued. Constitutional carry will negate some of this.

However, most states with constitutional carry statutes still issue permits for the sake of reciprocity. Florida’s permit is recognized in a large number of states, which many people like when traveling. In fact, I know a lot of Georgians who get Florida permits because some states will reciprocate with Florida that won’t with Georgia.

If that remains the case in Florida, then there will still be some permits offered and those may still require training. The bill will likely change somewhat during the legislative process, so I’m not going to get hung up with what’s there now and what isn’t. What matters, though, is that this is a bill seeking to restore the right to keep and bear arms as it was always meant to be.

For a while, it seemed like every state was likely to embrace constitutional carry. That now seems to have slowed down a bit. Should Florida go down this road, though, it might spur some of their neighbors ( *cough* Georgia *cough* ) to do so as well. It might just spur other states elsewhere to get off the pot and recognize our natural right to keep and bear arms and how we shouldn’t have to approach the government with hat in hands to ask for permission to do so.

No one should have to ask to exercise their basic rights. If they do, it’s not a right. Plain and simple.