Florida Update: Your cars belong to the company for another year.

[Miggy]

HB 1417 that would have kept the inside of our vehicles safe from illegal searches from PRIVATE hands never made it out of council in Tallahassee.

From the NRA-ILA alert:

Some Florida "Pro-Gun" Republicans show their true colors -THEY'RE ANTI-GUN!


The House Environmental and Natural Resources Council held a hearing today, April 18, on House Bill 1417, sponsored by Representative Dennis Baxley. Unfortunately, HB 1417 was defeated by a vote of 10 to 4.

Seven (7) Republican Committee Members sold out the citizens they were elected to represent in favor of corporate giants like PUBLIX, DISNEY and WALMART.

The anti-gun Florida Chamber of Commerce targeted two Committee members (Representative Faye Culp & Representative Rich Glorioso) with TV attack ads that ran over the weekend and put pressure on others to subvert your constitutional rights. Those two Representatives did not cave to anti-gun pressure, and they stood strong for the people.

Three (3) Republicans and one (1) Democrat voted FOR the bill: Representative Debbie Boyd (D), Representative Faye Culp (R), Representative Rich Glorioso (R) and Representative Paige Kreegel (R). These are four of the most honorable members of the Florida House. NRA will always remember their courage and support for HB 1417.

One of the most disappointing votes was Representative Bob Allen (R), who was a co-sponsor of the bill and assured NRA he was pro-gun and would vote in support of HB 1417. However, he then VOTED AGAINST HB 1417. Please call Representative Bob Allen at his Tallahassee Office number (850) 488-4669 and express your disappointment in his actions.

The following Representatives voted AGAINST the bill, your privacy rights, your personal property rights and your Second Amendment Rights:

Rep. Bob Allen (R) (850) 488-4669 (Brevard & Orange Counties)
Rep. Mary Brandenburg (D) (850) 488-0260 (Palm Beach)
Rep. Denise Grimsley (R) (850) 488-3457 (Highlands, Glades, Hendry)
Rep. Will Kendrick (R) (850) 488-7870 (Click here)
Rep. Rick Kriseman (D) (850) 488-9337 (Pinellas)
Rep. Bryan Nelson (R) (850) 488-2023 (Orange)
Rep. Richard Machek (D) (850) 488-5588 (Click here)
Rep. Stan Mayfield (R), Chair (850) 488-0952 (Indiand River & St. Lucie)
Rep. Baxter Troutman (R) VC (850) 488-9465 (Polk, Hardee)
Rep. Trudi Williams (R) (850) 488-2047 (Lee & Collier)

Their email addresses are:

Bob.Allen@myfloridahouse.gov
Mary.Brandenburg@myfloridahouse.gov
Denise.Grimsley@myfloridahouse.gov
Will.Kendrick@myfloridahouse.gov
Rick.Kriseman@myfloridahouse.gov
Richard.Machek@myfloridahouse.gov
Stan.Mayfield@myfloridahouse.gov
Bryan.Nelson@myfloridahouse.gov
Baxter.Troutman@myfloridahouse.gov
Trudi.Williams@myfloridahouse.gov

NRA will not forget these anti-gun, anti-freedom, anti-constitution Representatives. Some Representatives are term-limited and planning to run for other offices, others will have to run for re-election in 2008. We will keep you posted on others who worked behind the scenes to help sell out Florida’s law-abiding citizens gun owners.

The following is the Testimony of Marion Hammer on this bill to the House Environmental & Natural Resources Council 4/18/07:

Committee Members,

This bill is about the individual rights of everyday people. People are more important than a chunk of asphalt parking lot. You don't stop being a person when you accept employment or become a customer.

A grocery store or an amusement park has NO right to search your private vehicle just because you parked in their parking lot. They have NO right to tell you what private personal property you can have inside your private vehicle.

Well, that's what this bill is about.

Constitutional rights and statutory rights do NOT end when you cross from one piece of asphalt upon which you drive - to another piece of asphalt upon which you park.

There has been a lot of talk about taking away property rights.

Let's be very clear. This bill doesn't take away ANY property rights. It doesn't give any property rights.

It protects EXISTING property rights of customers and employees.

Opponents of this bill are trying to dream up or manufacture rights for themselves while trampling existing rights of others. The Constitution has NEVER given business owners the right to subvert the privacy rights and Second Amendment rights of customers or employees.

This bill protects a person's right to have legal property that is lawfully possessed locked inside a personal private vehicle in a parking lot. A private vehicle, by the way, that is an extension of your home.

Think about women who work late hours as cashiers at supermarkets. And what about employees of all-night pharmacies, or nurses or lab technicians who work late shifts and drive to and from work through dangerous areas late at night?

As one female legislator asked, what about lawmakers who travel their districts at night for speaking engagements? Are they not supposed to park anywhere or stop for a cup of coffee or a soda or a bite to eat because they carry a gun in the car for protection?

A woman who is being stalked needs protection. Police often advise these women to buy a gun for protection because police can't be there to protect them. An employer violates her rights if the employer attempts to force her to waive her rights and chose between her life and her job.

Her employer has no right to tell her that she'll be fired if she exercises her right to have a firearm in her vehicle for protection.

This bill is about staying alive to get to work and staying alive to get home to your family after work. THERE CAN BE NO STRONGER RIGHT.

Legislatures have a duty to protect the constitutional rights of individuals from abuses. They must act as a shield to protect constitutional rights of the people; they also must act as the point of a sword to punish those who violate our inalienable rights.

The Florida Chamber says they represent over 100,000 business owners and those businesses employ over 3 million workers. The Chamber ONLY represents those few business owners.

The Chamber is NOT representing the rights of those 3 million workers or the rights of the millions upon millions of customers.

We're asking you to protect the rights of those workers and customers - the people whose rights you were sent here to protect. Please pass this bil

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

I wouldnt say they are anti gun, but they are willing to sell their soul to satan. Their souls had a price, and the gun issue was just a minor gimme. Which is worse?

[MilitaryPower]

I sent an email to all involved before the bill was in session, asking for it's support. I have sent another email to those turncoat backstabbers and "thanked" them.

[rwmorrisonjr]

Once again, concealed is concealed. Just leave it locked in your car and don't talk about it at work.

I have a feeling this was done to satisfy the more liberal parts of the state like SFL, Tampa & J-Ville. Most employers in rural parts of the state could care less since you would probably go plinking with your boss after work.

[Smith&Wessonfan]

Once again, concealed is concealed. Just leave it locked in your car and don't talk about it at work

Ayup

[Miggy]

So what happens when they decide to ask for a search of your vehicle? If you do allow it and find your gun, you are fired. If you don't, you are fired.

[Glock4good]

I did e mail them all. Here was a bill that balanced the rights of both. No liability for the property owner and freedom to keep a gun secured in the worker's car. What they did was despicable. Those legislators should be ashamed of themselves.

[ELCruisr]

Well, I've got a business and I guess I'm funny. As long as you don't have something seriously illegal in your car I could care less. If you have a permit and a weapon I'd rather you didn't lock it in your car. Some twit mike break in and steal it. Carry it on the job with me! But then I have a feeling I might be a little unusual.

I think what defeated this bill was the Disney/Universal/etc. complex along with some other mega corps who make mega political donations like Lockheed Martin among others who were all vehemently opposed to this bill.

[P95Carry]

Can we say - money - greed, and lack of spine and loyalty to constituents?

Despicable was the safe word for use here - but there are others!

As for the search or no search - sounds like ''heads they win - tails you lose"

[Miggy]

Response To Rep. Bob Allen’s so-called “True Gun Bill” Amendment!



DATE: April 23, 2007
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
NRA Past President
Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida



Many of you contacted the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee members who voted against House Bill 1417 and many of you received a reply from Representative Bob Allen (R) who voted against HB 1417. Representative Allen’s attempt to blame NRA and me for his mistakes cannot go unanswered. I have received questions from a significant number of members wanting to know what really happened. Giving you that information is the purpose of this communication.

Representative Allen’s actions are those of a politician trying to cover himself for selling out gun owners.

It is clear that Representative Allen used this tactic to try to position him for a State Senate race against pro-gun legislators who are also running for the same Senate seat.

Picking a fight with the NRA and me was certain to gain him a lot of attention. However, trying to convince NRA members that he is more pro-gun than the NRA and Marion Hammer is the biggest joke of the century.

Representative Allen was a co-sponsor of HB 1417. He NEVER had any problem with HB 1417 until the Florida Chamber started putting pressure on him to oppose the bill.

Representative Allen deliberately blindsided us with his so-called “True Gun Bill” amendment. He never came to us to say he had a problem with the bill. He never asked us to change the bill. He never told us he was going to file an amendment to gut the bill - he just filed it.

When the amendment was posted, I was shocked. I asked him to withdraw the amendment. Representative Allen refused to withdraw the amendment and assured me that he was not trying to kill the bill. Further, he assured me he would support the bill, even if his amendment were defeated.

Representative Allen’s amendment was killed. He is the only one who voted for it and then Representative Allen voted against the bill that we have worked on for two years.

Representative Allen has made a number of grave political errors in trying to blame others for his mistakes. He compounded it in his latest email in which he tells you to email me personally.

Representative Allen says the following about HB 1417 by Representative Baxley:

"This bill makes no mention of guns. This bill makes no mention of the Second Amendment and This bill is not a gun bill."

Please click here to review a copy of the Representative Baxley’s bill that was conformed to the Senate bill (SB 2356) and I point you to:

page 2, line 28;
page 3, lines 79-82
page 4, lines 102-104

Further, I ask that you take the time to read the whole bill and understand that Representative Baxley’s bill protects all legal products including, firearms, ammunition, gun magazines, hunting gear, NRA magazines and all legal products a gun owners may have in their private car or truck.

I would remind you that in the past, corporate giants have randomly searched private vehicles in their parking lots, without probable cause, under the pretense of searching for “contraband” - which covers anything they choose - and subsequently fired employees who had firearms in their private motor vehicles.

Under Representative Baxley’s bill, a business owner may not conduct searches. Searches are only permitted by on-duty law enforcement based on due process and must comply with constitutional protections.

While Representative Allen’s amendment prohibits searches for firearms, it does not prevent searches for ammunition or any other legal product - and employees could be fired for possession of such products. In short, Representative Allen’s amendment falls far short of providing adequate protection for gun owners. HE KNOWS THAT BECAUSE I EXPLAINED IT TO HIM.

I am sorry that Representative Allen has chosen to engage in this type of conduct. Rest assured, we will keep fighting to protect your rights and we will not quit.

Marion Hammer