Bill Nelson

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats this afternoon narrowly sank a measure that would have allowed gun owners with concealed weapons permits to carry firearms across state lines. Joining them was U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, who bucked a home state with a history of permissive gun laws.

The vote attracted the usual crossfire from the NRA and gun control groups, but even the Libertarian Party took aim at the 39 senators, including Nelson, who helped stop it.

“We look forward to holding those 39 senators accountable for once again treating America’s gun owners as second-class citizens,” said party spokesman Donny Ferguson in a statement. “America’s 90 million gun owners vote, and you can bet Libertarian candidates will be discussing their unabashed support of the Second Amendment.”

A spokesman for Nelson issued this statement from the senator: “Sen. Nelson thinks states and not the federal government should set their own standards in deciding who gets permits.  And the federal government shouldn’t then force a state with a tougher requirement to honor the less stringent requirements of another state, for example.”

Marlene O'Toole

If you have been living under a rock lately you may have missed the push by states to get 10^th amendment resolutions passed.  These are to remind the Federal Government of States Rights and State Sovereignty.

Most recently Montana passed a fantastic piece of legislation called the Montana Firearms Freedom Bill.  What does this bill do?  Simple, It tells the Federal Government that any firearms or ammunition created, built or sold in the state of Montana are not subject to Federal Legislation.

Representative O’Toole has introduced such legislation in the Florida House.  Her bill HB-21 is almost the same as the Montana Bill.  When I called her office for comment she was out of town.  But I will be following up with her about the bill.  I hope everyone interested in the bill in the State of Florida will call all of his or her Representatives in the State House to support this bill.

Also there is a rumor that Sen. Carey Baker is going to introduce a companion bill in the Florida Senate.  Sen. Baker is currently running for Commissioner of Agriculture in Florida.  This office oversees concealed weapons permits among other things.

This will be a great issue to watch and hopefully get passed!

Bill McCollum

I was pleased to read that two-thirds of the nation’s attorneys general, including Bill McCollum, have filed an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to grant certiorari in the case of NRA v. Chicago.

In this case, the NRA holds that the right of the people to keep and bear arms is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution; is incorporated into the Due Process Clause or the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment so as to be applicable to the States — thereby invalidating ordinances prohibiting possession of handguns in the home.

This bi-partisan group of 33 attorneys general, along with the Attorney General of California in a separate filing, agrees with the NRA’s position that the Second Amendment protects a fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms, disagreeing with the decision recently issued by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Attorney General McCollum was one of the many who agrees that the Second Amendment is a fundamental individual right and signed the amicus brief.

Please call Attorney General McCollum at (850) 414-3300 and thank him for standing up in support of the Second Amendment.