Florida Governor Fires Back At Gun Control Proposal

The state of Florida took on a slew of new gun control laws in the wake of Parkland, but the voters were clearly less than pleased with that. After all, they elected a pro-gun governor instead of an anti-gun Democrat. In fact, the only Democrat who won was going toe-to-toe with a scandal-ridden opponent that lost on general principle.

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The people of Florida aren’t fans of gun control.

Yet that didn’t stop a proposal from gaining a bit of steam in the state senate. Steam that the governor decided to cool down with his take on the bill recently. He wasn’t alone.

A day after a committee unanimously signed off on one of Senate President Bill Galvano’s top priorities, Gov. Ron DeSantis and House Speaker Jose Oliva expressed skepticism Tuesday about the sweeping gun-control measure.

The proposal (SB 7028) would close the gun-show “loophole,” create a record-keeping system for private gun sales and set aside $5 million to establish a “statewide strategy for violence prevention,” among other things.

The measure would also expand on the state’s “red-flag law,” which was included in a wide-ranging law passed shortly after the Feb. 14, 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

DeSantis appeared skeptical of the proposal to close the gun-show “loophole” by requiring background checks and a three-day waiting period for firearms sold at gun shows, saying screenings are already being performed by “anyone selling firearms at any of those tables.”

“So, when they say that to me, I don’t really know what it is. I know there are talking points, but the fact of the matter is that anyone who is selling firearms is going to have to do background checks, unless it’s just a private sale. But you’re not going to have a table at a gun show on a private sale,” the Republican governor told reporters Tuesday.

Oliva seemed even more dubious, telling reporters that the House is “always very careful when we in any way start to infringe on those things that people consider their constitutional rights.”

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The truth is, Galvano might have an “R” after his name, but it’s also quite clear that the bill he’s decided is one of his “top priorities” isn’t going to go anywhere.

That’s good news because, as Governor DeSantis notes, those people with tables at gun shows aren’t selling guns without background checks. The “gun show loophole” is a myth cooked up by anti-gunners who want to regulate each and every transfer of a firearm. It’s not a real thing and, as such, doesn’t represent a real threat.

Galvano is grabbing at guns, something Republicans aren’t supposed to do.

Luckily for the people of Florida, despite Galvano’s considerable power, it’s unlikely this bill will get passed. If the speaker of the house and the governor are both against it, there’s not a lot of hope for the bill. Frankly, I don’t even expect it to pass a vote in the senate, despite Galvano’s position. He may have considerable power, but no one is going to piss off the folks back home just to appease the leadership.

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