FDP Chair Nikki Fried on Passage of DeSantis’s Permitless Carry Bill

Today, as the Florida Legislature sent a permitless carry bill to Ron DeSantis to sign at his urging – barely days after yet another deadly school shooting – Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried released the following statement:

“Florida Republicans have delivered exactly what Ron DeSantis asked for in his shameless effort to boost his national profile and win over the MAGA base: a permitless carry bill that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns and that some law enforcement officials have warned could make our communities less safe. As Florida’s former Commissioner of Agriculture, I oversaw the licensing of concealed weapon permits and I saw firsthand how the process helps keep our communities safe. This is just the latest example of DeSantis using this legislative session to push an extreme agenda that puts his own ambitions and special interests like the gun lobby ahead of Floridians.”

Here’s What You Need to Know About DeSantis’s Permitless Carry Bill:

• Some Florida law enforcement officials have come out against permitless carry citing the increased risk for law enforcement officers and citizens alike, describing it as a “recipe for disaster.”

• This bill could make it easier for people convicted of one or more first-degree violent misdemeanors to carry a concealed weapon.

• The bill also removes existing training requirements for those who carry concealed weapons, further undermining gun safety.

• The push for permitless carry comes after DeSantis used his new book to brag about his opposition to gun safety laws that were signed into law by former Republican governor Rick Scott in the wake of the Parkland mass shooting.

• DeSantis has promised to go further by saying he would sign an open-carry bill if the legislature passes it.