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AR15.COM
1/21/2008 7:57:03 AM EDT
HB-503 & SB-1130 Protect your right to have a firearm in your private vehicle

DATE:   January 21, 2008
TO:       USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM:  Marion P. Hammer
            NRA Past President
            Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida

The following bills have been filed to protect your constitutional and statutory right to have a firearm stored in your vehicle in a parking lot for self-defense and other lawful purposes.  You should start contacting your Representative and Senator and ask them to cosponsor this critical legislation.  Copies of the bills are attached in pdf format.

HB-503 by Greg Evers (R)  (CO-SPONSORS) Mitch Needelman (R)
Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008: Creates "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008"; prohibits public or private entity from prohibiting customer, employee, or invitee from possessing any legally owned firearm that is lawfully possessed & locked inside or locked to private motor vehicle in parking lot; prohibits such entities from violating specified privacy rights by verbal or written inquiry or by search to ascertain presence of firearm within motor vehicle; prohibits certain actions by public or private entity against customer, employee, or invitee; prohibits employer from conditioning employment upon agreement by prospective employee that prohibits employees from keeping legal firearm locked inside motor vehicle; prohibits employer from attempting to prevent or prohibiting any customer, employee, or invitee from entering parking lot of employer's place of business when customer's, employee's, or invitee's motor vehicle contains legal firearm; prohibits employers from terminating employment of or otherwise discriminating against employee, or expelling customer or invitee, for exercising specified constitutional rights; provides specified immunity from liability; provides for enforcement of act; provides for award of costs & attorney's fees.

SB-1130 by Durell Peaden (R) Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008: Creates "Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008"; prohibits public or private entity from prohibiting customer, employee, or invitee from possessing any legally owned firearm that is lawfully possessed & locked inside or locked to private motor vehicle in parking lot; prohibits such entities from violating specified privacy rights by verbal or written inquiry or by search to ascertain presence of firearm within motor vehicle; prohibits certain actions by public or private entity against customer, employee, or invitee; prohibits employer from conditioning employment upon agreement by prospective employee that prohibits employees from keeping legal firearm locked inside motor vehicle; prohibits employer from attempting to prevent or prohibiting any customer, employee, or invitee from entering parking lot of employer's place of business when customer's, employee's, or invitee's motor vehicle contains legal firearm; prohibits employers from terminating employment of or otherwise discriminating against employee, or expelling customer or invitee, for exercising specified constitutional rights; provides specified immunity from liability; provides for enforcement of act; provides for award of costs & attorney's fees.

WHY THESE BILLS ARE NEEDED


The bill will stop business entities from searching private vehicles and violating the constitutional rights of customers and employees.

Your Second Amendment rights are at the very heart of this issue. In addition to prohibiting searches of private vehicles in parking lots. The bills also prevent businesses from asking customers or employees to disclose what personal private property is stored in a private vehicle and prevents action against customers and employees who refuse to divulge that private information. Further, it prohibits action against a customer or employee based on information provided by a third party.

Some Florida businesses are trying to ban guns in cars in parking lot used by customers and employees. They are discriminating against people who exercise their constitutional rights – they are violating the constitutional rights of gun owners and Florida law.

Corporate giants have been trampling constitutional rights. Some are even attempting to coerce and intimidate gunowners into giving up constitutional rights as a condition of employment.

Your Rights are in Danger

Carrying firearms in a vehicle for hunting, target shooting or protection of yourself and your family obviously means you can leave that firearm locked in the vehicle in a parking lot when you go grocery shopping, to the doctor's office, to the movie, to visit a sick friend in the hospital, to rent a movie, to the shoe store or anywhere else normal people travel to conduct business.

Florida law, the U.S. Constitution, and the Florida Constitution clearly and unequivocally give law abiding citizens to have firearms in their vehicles for lawful purposes.

How can anyone justify telling a woman who is being stalked that she can't have a firearm for protection? In many cases police tell these women to get a gun for protection because police can't be there to protect her -- and calling 911 is nothing more than government sponsored dial-a-prayer.

A business owner or manager has no more right to say you can't have a firearm in your private vehicle than they have a right to say you can't have a pair of sun glasses, an umbrella, a Bible or a baby seat.

Such an anti-gun political exercise is not good business sense. They want your money but don't respect your rights.

Businesses are not allowed to discriminate against employees and customers because of race, religion, political party, color of eyes, hair or weight. And they certainly can't discriminate because of the exercise of lawful self-defense. And, make no mistake, these gun ban policies are blatant discrimination against people who chose to exercise a constitutional right and take responsibility for their own safety.

1/21/2008 10:03:03 AM EDT
[#1]
Nice,

It's about time this century we start seeing more pro-gun bills on the house floor...
1/21/2008 1:54:41 PM EDT
[#2]
Isn't this this the same thing that Publix & others helped kibosh a few months back?
1/21/2008 2:06:14 PM EDT
[#3]
Mitch Needelman is one of the best reps in the state of Florida.  Not only is he pro-gun he has the right idea on lots of issues.  I dont live in Melbourne but anyone that does should support this guy.
1/21/2008 3:05:46 PM EDT
[#4]
We need to make sure that this one gets passed this year.
1/21/2008 3:52:00 PM EDT
[#5]

Quoted:
Isn't this this the same thing that Publix & others helped kibosh a few months back?


No, its much more defined, narrow in scope, and very well worded. This is the bill that should have been voted on last year, instead of the garbage that got bounced. The last attempt was too broad in scope for any employer or property owner to stomach. It too away ALL their property rights, and protected potentially any situation, including drug possession, etc.

I hope this one gets passed, because I know I will have less to worry about daily as a result of it.
1/21/2008 4:30:38 PM EDT
[#6]
Excellent!!!!!!
I like how those are worded.  I hope they get passed.
1/21/2008 5:35:58 PM EDT
[#7]

Quoted:
Excellent!!!!!!
I like how those are worded.  I hope they get passed.


X2
1/21/2008 7:12:12 PM EDT
[#8]
Just in time for the elections. Stake Your Positions.
1/21/2008 7:16:44 PM EDT
[#9]
Got a fax from these people the other day.


http://www.flchamber.com/mx/hm.asp?id=leg_coalition_gunsatwork



-----------


Don't forget the main reason this failed last year was because of the VT murders. The bill was about to pass then VT happened and the bill went down due to the media attention of gun sin the news at the time.
1/22/2008 9:56:29 AM EDT
[#10]
my state rep is my neighbor. his son plays sports with mine.

Thad Altman [ FL  House of Representatives, District 30] will support this bill.

I also provided a few talking points in regards to the subject matter. Hopefully he will share
these with his colleagues.


1/22/2008 10:00:40 AM EDT
[#11]
I got this in my email box today too.

1/22/2008 2:49:46 PM EDT
[#12]
Well, after reading the additions to the House Bill, its nothing but horseshit again. Its basically going to protect grocery store employees and Disney workers. A good majority of Florida is either Theme Parks, Hospital or Medical Facilities, and Defense Companies. Motherfuckers...

(6)  EXCEPTIONS.--The prohibitions in subsection (2) do not
193 apply to:

194     (a)  Any school property as defined and regulated under s.
195 790.115.
196     (b)  Any state correctional institution regulated under s.
197 944.47.
198     (c)  Property owned or leased by an employer or the
199 landlord of an employer upon which are conducted substantial
200 activities involving national defense, aerospace, or domestic
201 security.

202     (d)  Property owned or leased by an employer or the
203 landlord of an employer upon which the primary business
204 conducted is the manufacture, use, storage, or transportation of
205 combustible or explosive materials regulated under state or
206 federal law.
207     (e)  A motor vehicle owned, leased, or rented by an
208 employer or the landlord of an employer.
209     (f)  Any other property owned or leased by an employer or
210 the landlord of an employer upon which possession of a firearm
211 or other legal product by a customer, employee, or invitee is
212 prohibited pursuant to any federal law or any general law of
213 this state on the effective date of this act.
1/22/2008 4:18:05 PM EDT
[#13]

Quoted:
Well, after reading the additions to the House Bill, its nothing but horseshit again. Its basically going to protect grocery store employees and Disney workers. A good majority of Florida is either Theme Parks, Hospital or Medical Facilities, and Defense Companies. Motherfuckers...

(6)  EXCEPTIONS.--The prohibitions in subsection (2) do not
193 apply to:

194     (a)  Any school property as defined and regulated under s.
195 790.115.
196     (b)  Any state correctional institution regulated under s.
197 944.47.
198     (c)  Property owned or leased by an employer or the
199 landlord of an employer upon which are conducted substantial
200 activities involving national defense, aerospace, or domestic
201 security.

202     (d)  Property owned or leased by an employer or the
203 landlord of an employer upon which the primary business
204 conducted is the manufacture, use, storage, or transportation of
205 combustible or explosive materials regulated under state or
206 federal law.
207     (e)  A motor vehicle owned, leased, or rented by an
208 employer or the landlord of an employer.
209     (f)  Any other property owned or leased by an employer or
210 the landlord of an employer upon which possession of a firearm
211 or other legal product by a customer, employee, or invitee is
212 prohibited pursuant to any federal law or any general law of
213 this state on the effective date of this act.
oh - WTF DAMN

I cant believe this shit.
1/23/2008 6:40:34 AM EDT
[#14]

Quoted:
my state rep is my neighbor. his son plays sports with mine.

Thad Altman [ FL  House of Representatives, District 30] will support this bill.

I also provided a few talking points in regards to the subject matter. Hopefully he will share
these with his colleagues.




Thats good to hear he is my Rep too. I sent out a couple letters and was going to make some phone calls.
1/23/2008 7:05:45 AM EDT
[#15]

Quoted:

Quoted:
my state rep is my neighbor. his son plays sports with mine.

Thad Altman [ FL  House of Representatives, District 30] will support this bill.

I also provided a few talking points in regards to the subject matter. Hopefully he will share
these with his colleagues.




Thats good to hear he is my Rep too. I sent out a couple letters and was going to make some phone calls.
well I have to talk to him about this. Because I work for a defense contractor and it looks like they will exclude them from this bill. So it does jack shit for me.
1/23/2008 9:40:34 AM EDT
[#16]
Here's an interesting thing I received from the NRA.

http://www.nraila.org/media/PDFs/fl_chambersurvey_ltr.pdf