U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- Governor Ron DeSantis is once again showing Florida’s previous governors what it means to truly be a leader. Yesterday, Gov. DeSantis, during a press conference, was asked about the possible passage of Constitutional Carry in 2023, especially since there is now a massive Republican supermajority in control of the legislature. The Governor had this to say in response.
He laughs and says, “well, we’ve had a majority this whole time. I’ll let Paul answer that because I’m ready. [looking over to incoming House Speaker Paul Renner] Are you going to do it?”
Paul Renner responded with a “yes.”
Let’s break down the Governor’s statement quickly. He didn’t just say he supports Constitutional Carry, he politically called out the Republican-controlled legislature for its collective failure to pass during prior sessions.
The Governor said, “we’ve had a majority this whole time.” That is very important because it is true. We’ve had a Republican majority in the legislature for over a decade. It has been Republicans that have blocked the passage of pro-gun legislation like Constitutional Carry, Open Carry, Campus Carry, Red Flag Repeal, and Second Amendment Sanctuary.
At the end of March, when the regular session ended, the Governor called out the legislature for failing to pass Constitutional Carry, Homeowners Insurance Reform, Digital Privacy, and other issues. He said he’d like to make it part of the May special session, but when he polled Republican lawmakers, the turnout of support was substandard.
“In terms of when? You know, I don’t know. The Legislature has got to pass it. I mean, I’ve said for years I would sign. I don’t know if they have the votes now. But I know that this is something that a lot of people are going to be looking at as we go forward into this next election.”
The blockage then was Republican leaders like Wilton Simpson and Chris Sprowls. But, due to the hard work of Florida’s GOA members. The incoming leadership is singing a different tune.
FL. Rep. Paul Renner supports Constitutional Carry (2022)
It was a Florida GOA member who got incoming House Speaker Paul Renner on record, pledging support for Constitutional Carry and it was GOA who got the Republican Party of Florida to pass a statewide resolution calling for Republican lawmakers to support Constitutional Carry.
RPOF June 2022 Meeting
Never in Florida have we been in a position such as we’re seeing now. We’ve always been under RINOs that scoff at the idea of truly advancing pro-gun legislation and restoring Floridians’ Second Amendment rights. But this doesn’t mean the fight is over.
The current issue now facing the passage of Constitutional Carry is incoming Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. She said the following in May on the Bob Harden show.
“It’s such a divisive, such a big issue, and the term ‘constitutional carry’ means put it in the constitution…. Let the voters decide.”
May 3, 2022, interview of Sen. Kathleen Passidomo interviewed on the Bob Harden Show.
Sen. Passidomo is not and has never been pro-gun. But now, because of the hard work by GOA and its members. She’s stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she blocks Constitutional Carry, she is scuttling a campaign promise made by the Governor, going against her counterpart in the House, and would violate the Republican Party’s stance. She’d be Florida’s Queen of the RINOs, and support for her would evaporate faster than a spilled Rum & Coke on a hot August afternoon in Miami.
We all know that she has further political aspirations, and her being the one to make the Governor look bad when he is at the top of his political game would make any future financial backer leery.
Governor Ron DeSantis has given Florida’s gun owners their marching orders. He has identified the opposition that needs to have pressure put on them.
Do your job, contact Senate President Kathleen Passidomo and tell her that Constitutional Carry is must-pass legislation for 2023.
Gun Owners of America will be fighting the good fight, but we can’t do it without people like you!
Our nation’s motto is e Pluribus Unum. Latin for “out of many, one.” Together, we can get Constitutional Carry passed in Florida.
About Luis Valdes
Luis Valdes is the Florida State Director and the Director of Outreach for Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands for Gun Owners of America. A life-long advocate of freedom and a firearms shooter, hunter, competitor, and collector. Luis is the first of his family born in the United States of Cuban Immigrants who fled Communism and who’s family saw firsthand what gun control truly results in.
the passidomo interview sounds her already coming up with excuses for not bringing this up for vote. she sounds like a rino, “the people in the heartland don’t have a problem, it is the tourists along the coast who don’t want to be eating at a restaurant and see a firearm.”
outgoing senate simpson was the problem, let’s see what this one comes up with.
the Second Amendment is in the US Constitution, why not in every state constitution?
She’ll soon find out she’s on the train to nowhere re: 2A. My former boss,
who lives there in St. Petersburg laughingly refers to the state as ‘Flori-duh’.
If Desantis says he’ll sign it then it’s time to take him at his word and hand him something to put his John Hancock on. We did it in Maine when Gov LePage was in office. Our state gun rights group Gun Owners of Maine and a state senator named Eric Brakey made it happen. Time to join the club Florida.
Rom DeSantis is a liar and a vote shopping clown . He will do an about face if he gets the votes he wants with his deception .
Has anyone done the homework on who’s decision this was? This event was in Gainesville, home of the Gators, as everyone on here should know college town municipalities are usually bastions of libtardism that may not have allowed you your 2A rights at a political event. My point is, I’ve never heard of this happening at any other event he held, so if it was his policy then seems like it would of happened at other events. I get it, he still agreed to do it and I know allot of people on here will say he should have pulled… Read more »
He could be, I’m saying call him out by putting that bill in front of his face before he has to run again. And if legislators in Florida can’t get that done Florida has a bigger problem than DeSantis.
Super! Support citizens, not criminals!
Constitutional Carry and repealing of “Red Flag” laws. Liking this guy more and more.
You better research the 2 faced clown as he denied people with CCWs the right to exercise thier right at his fundraiser. He is just vote shopping and a liar .
Is there a better option though ? And Who ?
think that he is better than trump and joe blow but that aint saying much there are not really any great candidates for president or any other office I think the government would kill anyone that was pro constitution , think of all of the government departments that would be gone over night
I hope he looks into it. He’ll see that Red Flag Laws are one-sided, ineffective and are on the short train to ‘nowhere’. Grateful to our Texas
Governor who’s already signed significant 2A legislation here in Texas.
Speaking as a 7th gen Floridian I’m all for it, Been waiting a long, long time. Now that Nikki the (skank) Weed is gone, maybe it can happen, but I doubt it. Too many LEO are against it.
Chris Sprowls was the problem, not De Santis.
He needs legislative backing, even Cord Byrd wouldn’t agree to it in the past, and he’s a 2A lawyer. He Has an office 8 blocks from me in Neptune Beach.
I Agree, but to sound off like Abbot is a hero after letting 3 million plus cross the border into the great state of Texas, that’s a stretch.
After all, he is the Governor.
If her hand wasn’t there it it was in Wayne LaPierre’s pants.
Are you talking about police or sharifs? The FOP is an organization for the POLICE, not the rank and file of rural sheriffs.
There is a vast different between them.
problem is mostly large departments and fhp,but there are some bad small departments
It seems to me that a leading Republican would not allow permitless carry out of committee for more than one session. Was it the past president of the senate (who now oversees CWPs)? Could be…
Although I’m not personally in favor of open carry I think this might be the “tourist issue” so feared by past leaders. The only positive that I see in open carry is the accidental print issue.
Seems like a lot of people here like to talk, and don’t realize how government actually works. If the legislature will not send a bill to the governor to sign no matter how much pressure he puts on the legislature nothing gets done. He cannot use an executive order to allow constitutional carry.
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Ron Desantis is a typical politician, the way you know he is lying is his lips are moving . He is just vote shopping and has no intention of following through with this . This is the same clown who denied people with CCWs the right to pack a firearm at his fundraiser. Does this sound like someone who supports constitutional carry ? Get a clue read between the vote shopping lies .
You seem to like to run your mouth, but did Ron DeSantis deny the people with a CWL or was it the solid blue county of Alachua!
Florida does not have a CCW it is called a CWL.
You worry about Montana and let Floridians worry about Florida.
Venue owners generally make the rules. Additionally, democrats have demonstrated with extreme violence so venue owners can be expected to tighten their rules. DeSantis inherited chicken Republicans and laws like Rick Scott’s red flag law. DeSantis is not perfect in my Texas opinion but it puts him in a tie with Trump.
there have been a lot of bad “republicans” in Flori…..da including about half the police and sheriffs possibly more. rick the red flag scott should be in a jail cell for medicare fraud
DeSantis looks more and more like a much better choice than Trump in 2024. Every bit as conservative, and none of the childish pissy attitude that cost Trump the election in 2020……and not an antique.
You could stand to remember the SCYTL voting machines in Europe taken down in Germany and Spain.
I wish everyone that is saying Trump lost would get educated. Trump lost on account of election fraud. I don’t care who say’s there was a fair election. Anyone with a little since knows it was. Even those who said there was no election Fraud, they were lying out their a double ss.