TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – State lawmakers will begin considering a bill on Monday that would allow Floridians to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
To carry a concealed weapon, someone in Florida would need to apply for a license and pass a criminal background check.
More than 2.5 million people had concealed weapons permits as of the end of last year, according to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
This measure would eliminate that requirement to get a permit, but it would require that concealed carriers also “carry valid identification” right along with it and present that identification to law enforcement upon demand.
The proposed law also carves out exceptions that prohibitions on carrying guns in schools and athletic events would still apply.
Florida would join 25 other states which do not require a permit to carry a concealed firearm in public.
Republicans say this is an effort to cut red tape in allowing law-abiding citizens to be able to carry firearms for protection.
Democrats criticized the proposals’ elimination of the training element that comes with getting a permit training that educates gun carriers on when it is and is not appropriate to wield the weapon for protection, as well as how to properly maintain and store a weapon.
Studies show that states which relax concealed carry restrictions see an increase in gun-related assaults.
Last year, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the average rate of assaults with firearms went up by nearly 10% across 36 states that eased their concealed carry laws.
It’s also important to note that while some politicians have described this policy as “constitutional carry,” that’s only a political term, which implies that this policy is the only fair interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.
There’s no clear consensus on what rights or limitations the second amendment actually protects in this area.