Anti-gun Florida Chamber of Commerce at it again!

Vice President of Government Affairs Adam Babington once again shows his anti-gun bias under the guise of "improving Florida's business climate and sustained economic development." In a December 17th e-mail sent to members, Mr. Babington attempts to stir up member concerns over Senate Bill 234, recently sponsored by Senator Greg Evers (R- Dist. 2).

On the surface, Mr. Babington's primary concern seems to be a proposed provision that would permit a "person licensed under this section..." (has valid concealed carry license) "to carry or store a firearm for lawful purposes." Quoting from his e-mail:

"This last provision also revises the requirements for how guns can be stored in vehicles, and appears to eliminate the well-reasoned exemptions in the 2008 law.  In particular, the 2008 law required the gun to be legally owned, lawfully possessed, and locked inside or locked to a private motor vehicle when the owner of the gun is lawfully in the parking lot of another individual or business.  The new proposed law simply says that a person can “carry or store a firearm in a vehicle for lawful purposes,” if that person has a concealed weapons permit, meaning that businesses couldn’t prohibit guns in company-owned vehicles.  Furthermore, the 2008 law prohibited guns at schools, prisons, nuclear power plants, national defense, aerospace, and homeland security facilities, as well as properties that use explosive materials.  SB 234 appears to eliminate all of those exemptions."

By prohibiting an employee or patron's right to store their firearm in their automobile while either working or shopping, it efffectively prevents the employee's or patron's ability to constitutionally defend himself during travel to and from that business property, a condition for which business is directly responsible, but yet assumes no liability. Mr. Babington refers to this as well-reasoned. Well-reasoned for whom? Surely not this individual. Nor this one. The House of Mouse has used the explosives (read fireworks) license to prohibit Disney employees from storing firearms in their private vehicles in Disney lots under some misguided ideal that legally-owned firearms are somehow inherently evil, as are their owners. If you worked at Disney, how would this make you feel? Perhaps this could have been you. Mr. Babington has conveniently forgotten that beyond the well-stocked aisles, polished floors, and landscaped parking lots of Florida Chamber of Commerce member-businesses, there exists a real world where others do not play nice.

Like all good anti-gun rhetoric, Mr. Babington's e-mail contains factual errors or exaggerations. He claims the bill makes changes:

• Allowing holders of concealed weapons permits to openly carry their guns into private schools, even if the private school has a policy prohibiting firearms on its private property;
• Allowing holders of concealed weapons permits to openly carry their guns into career centers, colleges, and universities, even if the center or school has a policy prohibiting firearms on its property.

Sounds like the private property owner has no choice, right? Untrue. Currently, the locations mentioned are contained in a prohibited places list in §790.06 (12)  Florida Statutes where concealed carriers face criminal prosecution under firearms law violations. Under the proposed bill, licensed general open carry would be authorized, therefore the new statute must address licensed open and concealed carriers and would relegate private schools, universities, and colleges to the status of businesses, with the same rights as any private entity. If found carrying, either openly or concealed, an individual could be asked to leave the property, just the same as at the mall or retail store. Failure to do so could result in a trespass charge.

If you are a Florida business owner and Florida Chamber of Commerce member, please do not succumb to this obviously anti-gun rhetoric. Two years ago, the organization fought vehemently against the "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008". The act, although pared down from its original form, was nonetheless signed by then Governor Crist, and prevented employers from prohibiting employees from storing firearms in their cars in company parking lots while at work. Honestly ask yourselves, has your business suffered even one iota because of the passage of the original bill?

Gun control is not about guns. It's about control.