Gun bills pass House, but face opposition in Senate

The Florida House has passed this session’s two marquee gun bills, one that allows concealed carry permit holders to carry their weapons on collegecampuses, andanother that allows them to openly carry them.

But concealed carry permit holders waiting to openly display their firearms or carry them on college campuses— or both — will probably have to wait a while longer.

Neither bill is faring well across the hall in the Florida Senate.

The two bills met fierce criticism on the House floor Wednesday. For more than two hours in total, Democrats — with one exception in stateRep. Michelle Rehwinkel Vasilinda, D-Tallahassee— argued against the bill.

Black bill.

“There are African-American members of this caucus who are deathly afraid of the passage of this bill,” said state Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg.

Citing the cases of Tamir Rice and John Crawford, a boy and amanwhowere both killed by police while carrying toy guns, state Rep. Shevrin Jones, D-West Park, said that open carry would make matters worse for the black community.

He also mentioned Corey Jones, a black man who was shot and killed Oct. 18 by police legislators were particularly against the open carry in Palm Beach Gardens while waiting for a towtruck after his car broke down.

“It’s not open carry in our communities, it’s open season.” Jones said.

But the bill sponsor, state Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-FortWalton Beach, dismissed those concerns.

“Is there a shred of evidence — any — that this bill exacerbates thatproblem?” Gaetzsaid.

The bill would allow people with concealed carry permits to openly carry firearms.

AmendmentsaddedTuesday would also ban people who are in the country illegally from obtaining such a license, and allow legislators to carry concealed weapons in meetings of the