Gun bills face uncertain future in state Legislature

TALLAHASSEE — Gun-related issues for the 2018 session could be firing blanks in the Republican-dominated Florida Legislature.

The 60-day regular session still won’t start for a little under two months. But Senate Judiciary Chairman Greg Steube said last week that “at this time” he doesn’t plan to file two gun bills that have been among the more-controversial issues in recent sessions.

One of those proposalswould allowpeople with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns on university and college campuses. The other proposal would allow licenseto openly carry handguns.

Steube, a prominent gun-rights supporter, made the comments Tuesday after his committee postponed two other firearmrelated measures.

One of the postponed measures (SB 274) would allow people with concealed-weapons licenses to carry guns at private schools that are on the same property as religious institutions. Other than law enforcement officers, people are now barred from carrying guns at schools.

The second postponed bill (SB 148) would reduce penalties for people who inadvertently allow legally carried guns to be openly displayed.

Last week, the Judiciary Committee postponed a measure (SB 134) that would have allowed people with concealed-weapons licenses to store firearms with security officers at courthouses. Current law prevents people from carrying guns into courthouses.

Steube, a Sarasota Republican who is pushing for the “courthouse carry” measure and the bill to reduce penalties for people who inadvertently display guns, refused to say that any of the proposals are dead before the legislative session begins Jan. 9.

“I have full intention to put them back up, and hope fully we’ll get to a point where we’ll do an up or down vote,” he said.

Asked if gun-related measures are in trouble for the 2018 session, National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer said she never makes predictions. “There’s an old saying, ‘It ain’t over ’til it’s over.’ ” Hammer said in an email. “And we haven’t even started.”

Steube words echoed his refrains from much of the 2017 session when a pair of South Florida Republican members of his committee joined with Democrats on gun-related issues, effectively blocking contentious bills. “Obviously we had challenges getting it through committee last [session], so we’ll just have towait and see,” Steube said Tuesday.

The committee is expected to next meet on Dec. 5 during a final week of committee meetings before the session.