In a definitive step forward for Second Amendment rights, Florida has taken a bold stride by allowing citizens to carry concealed firearms without the need for a governmental permit. The freshly minted law, HB 543, comes hot on the heels of Gov. Ron DeSantis signing it this past April.
Come July 1, 2023, Florida stood tall as the 26th state in our great Union to liberate its law-abiding citizens, empowering them to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms without governmental interference. This significant change, however, ensures public safety with the continued requirement of background checks and a three-day waiting period for gun purchases.
The Supreme Court’s landmark decision last year that dismantled New York’s restrictive gun control law requiring “proper cause” to carry firearms outside the home appears to have set the stage for other states to reconsider their stance on gun rights.
Gov. DeSantis, voicing his support for the Second Amendment at a recent 2024 campaign event, asserted, “You don’t need a permission slip from the government to exercise your Second Amendment rights.”
This progressive stance directly opposes President Joe Biden’s recent call for stricter gun control measures, including the banning of “assault” weapons. However, President Trump has committed to defending the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens, vowing at the annual NRA convention, “I promise you this – with me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, no one will lay a finger on your firearms…I will uphold those glorious words: shall not be infringed.”
Indeed, Florida’s new law is a triumphant stride for proponents of the Second Amendment, underlining the principle that the right to bear arms is a fundamental liberty, not a privilege granted by the government.
