Gov. DeSantis signals intent to sign constitutional carry bill if OK’d by lawmakers
Ron DeSantis gets poor marks for his handling of mask mandates in Florida.

DeSantis 2
However, the Governor's Office described his remarks as a 'general statement.'

A video shared by the National Association for Gun Rights suggests Gov. Ron DeSantis is willing to sign a constitutional carry bill into law if passed by the Legislature.

The bill (HB 103) would allow law-abiding citizens to practice open and concealed carry by removing laws that require a concealed-weapons permit in Florida.

“Of course,” DeSantis is overheard saying in the video when asked if he would sign the bill.

The video, only six seconds long, shows DeSantis only briefly. The NAGR said it was filmed at a reception at the Governor’s Mansion on Dec. 3.

In a response to an inquiry by Florida Politics, the Governor’s Office described DeSantis’ remarks as a “general statement.”

“The governor cannot comment on the details of legislation that he has not seen yet,” added Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis. “Our office will be monitoring legislation throughout the process and will let you know if we have any updates to share on this topic.”

The bill, if passed, would align Florida with 21 other constitutional carry states, according to the group.

Republican Rep. Anthony Sabatini is the bill sponsor.

Sabatini announced plans to file the proposal after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a constitutional carry law in his state.

“Meanwhile here in Florida, Anti-2A ‘Republicans’ in the Legislature REFUSE to allow my Constitutional Carry Bill to move forward,” Sabatini wrote on Twitter.

Since his 2018 election to the House, Sabatini has repeatedly filed the measure. Republican leadership, however, has never scheduled a committee hearing for the bill, and the issue has met opposition from gun safety groups.

Proponents of the measure hope the tides will shift during the 2022 Legislative Session.

“There’s no excuse for the Florida Legislature to delay the passage of HB 103, Constitutional Carry,” said Matt Collins, Director of Legislation for Florida Gun Rights. “With Gov. DeSantis on board, and self-proclaimed pro-gun Republicans in control of both chambers, law-abiding gun owners in Florida deserve to see their elected officials restore gun rights in 2022.”

Florida Gun Rights considers the proposal among its top legislative priorities.

Florida — dubbed “The Gunshine State” — is known for it residents’ affinity toward concealed carry permits. Of the state’s 21.5 million residents as of 2020, nearly 2.4 million civilians have concealed carry permits as of the end of August.

If approved, the bill would take effect immediately.

Jason Delgado

Jason Delgado covers news out of the Florida State Capitol. After a go with the U.S. Army, the Orlando-native attended the University of Central Florida and earned a degree in American Policy and National Security. His past bylines include WMFE-NPR and POLITICO Florida. He'd love to hear from you. You can reach Jason by email ([email protected]) or on Twitter at @byJasonDelgado.


50 comments

  • PeterH

    December 7, 2021 at 8:02 pm

    More stupid! It never ends….. just like Trump …. Stupid policies every day!

    Now it will be the responsibility of airports, grocery stores and movie theaters to install metal detectors at every entrance…… because some gun owners can’t be trusted.

    • Joe O’Connor

      December 8, 2021 at 8:14 am

      You want to scare off tourists? Let them see Bubba walk in with a semiautomatic strapped on.

      • Jerry Hazlett

        December 16, 2021 at 4:52 pm

        That’s funny

      • Brandon

        December 20, 2021 at 10:54 am

        People come to Florida knowing that we strongly support freedom and many are carrying firearms, so it won’t scare tourists, only uneducated cowards like yourself. Want to scare tourists, let the criminals be the only ones freely carrying and don’t give people a reason to think twice about committing a crime on those tourists.

        • PeterH

          December 20, 2021 at 7:05 pm

          People come to Florida for golf and the beach. NO ONE TRAVELS HERE SPECIFICALLY FOR YOUR NON-EXISTENT FREEDUMB!

        • Brooke

          December 21, 2021 at 3:16 am

          Yes! Thank you! Finally a comment from a sane Floridian!

      • Beticus Magnus

        December 21, 2021 at 8:15 am

        Hahahahahahahaha you A-hole. This applies to pistols only idiot.

    • Larry Dodson

      December 8, 2021 at 11:27 am

      Spot on. You want to carry? Get a concealed license. Any non felon can get one after showing they a) aren’t idiots and know how to handle a gun and b) aren’t a felon. I have one and I would never support any law that allows any random moron to carry.

      • Mike j

        December 14, 2021 at 2:28 pm

        What a stupid reply? How are things nationally now? DeSantis is the only thing protecting Florida from repeated failed liberal policies. Go back to where you came from dumbass

      • Beticus Magnus

        December 21, 2021 at 8:18 am

        …SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. Grow up – felons carry regardless. What an asinine and child-like rationale.

        • PeterH

          December 21, 2021 at 6:08 pm

          Yes! A “well trained militia” SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED ….. everyone else ….. “STATE’S RIGHTS” to determine eligibility!

    • RICHARD L CACACE

      December 13, 2021 at 6:23 am

      So only those people who are breaking todays laws will be carrying. They surely don’t care one way or the other about the laws.
      Oh, btw- Biden doesn’t never makes any stupid policies.
      Does he.

    • Brandon

      December 20, 2021 at 10:50 am

      You need to educate yourself. This is the dumbest comment you could have possibly made. We should be allowed to defend ourselves without a need to pay for permission (permit) and that’s why it is called CONSTITUTIONAL carry.
      If you feel you need a babysitter, that’s on you. You have no idea how many people carry around you daily and that’s the point. If a criminal isn’t sure, that criminal is less likely to do something, so the more the odds are against them, the less likely they are to try.

      • PeterH

        December 20, 2021 at 7:08 pm

        We patriotic Americans should be requiring annual mental health checkups for anyone who owns a gun.

      • Beticus Magnus

        December 21, 2021 at 8:20 am

        Bravo. Well said and straight to the point. What we have here is a bunch of Yankee transplants bringing their socialist democrat garbage down South with them.

        #YankeeGoHome
        #2AForever

    • Gunther

      December 20, 2021 at 9:25 pm

      You IDIOT !

    • Beticus Magnus

      December 21, 2021 at 8:24 am

      No idiot. We live in a constitutional republic where individual responsibility is exercised. Whatever socialist Democrat utopia that you think that you want to create here in a republic, pack your bags and move to China.

    • JohnS

      December 21, 2021 at 11:54 am

      Lower crime rates in states that support legal gun ownership, and higher violent crime rates in districts that don’t allow it. You’re a special liberal, aren’t you? Go move to Shitcago, if you don’t like it here.

      • PeterH

        December 21, 2021 at 12:29 pm

        Texas has a higher gun violence rate per capita than Illinois! You’re wrong on every count!

    • John

      December 21, 2021 at 6:37 pm

      Stupid Comment

  • Alex

    December 7, 2021 at 8:34 pm

    More guns = more murders

    Fact

    Case-control studies, ecological time-series and cross-sectional studies indicate that in homes, cities, states and regions in the U.S., where there are more guns, both men and women are at a higher risk for homicide, particularly firearm homicide.

    https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/guns-and-death/

    • Geoff

      December 8, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      WRONG! States with Constitutional Carry see little or no difference in murders or other crimes with guns.
      You going to believe a study by a Liberal Leftist College that is bias against the 2nd. Amendment?

      • Christopher Anderson

        December 20, 2021 at 5:33 pm

        100% correct. Multiple studies from states that have enacted constitutional carry ..well here is a direct quote.

        “It is important to note that in the states that allow open carry, violent crime was 23 percent lower, the murder rate was 5 percent lower, the aggravated assault rate was 23 percent lower and robbery rates were 36 percent lower.”

      • PeterH

        December 20, 2021 at 7:11 pm

        You are incorrect. The states with the strictest gun laws have the least amount of violent gun crime per capita.

        Prove me otherwise with a credible link

    • Mack Tortuga

      December 8, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      The most recent data referenced in that link is from 2010. What it doesn’t cover is that more gun laws do not equal less guns or less gun deaths. NYC, Chicago and pretty much every major metro area have seen a sharp increase in gun violence despite strict laws.

    • Van

      December 14, 2021 at 6:36 pm

      You need to take a better look at Chicago !!!!

    • Chris b

      December 20, 2021 at 12:22 pm

      The blacks rob your house and car than steal your weapon. Than go rob or hold up people. Than shoot each other in their community’s. And it’s the gun fault. CNN is on another site

    • Beticus Magnus

      December 21, 2021 at 8:26 am

      Hahahahahahaha you complete idiot. More guns does not equal more murders you stupid, arrogant fool. We know that the murder rates crime rates etc. are averted.

      Above all else, you have the balls to publish a Harvard report. Despite being asinine and ridiculous, there is an element of comedy that you’ve introduced here. You cannot be taken seriously. Pack your bags move back north or go and move over to China.

      • PeterH

        December 21, 2021 at 6:10 pm

        Statistics across our great country ….. PROVE YOU WRONG. Stop your miserable lying!

  • Jeff Hughes

    December 7, 2021 at 10:14 pm

    Let’s look to the latest tragedy in Michigan before we elevate gun totin’ to am extension of the Second Amendment.

    • Scooter

      December 20, 2021 at 12:25 pm

      Which part the looting or rioting

  • zhombre

    December 8, 2021 at 7:54 am

    Bang

  • tinsley

    December 8, 2021 at 10:25 am

    A good person with a gun is the only way to stop a bad person with gun!

  • Rob

    December 8, 2021 at 11:38 am

    Can DeSantis get any better? So based.

    • Scooter

      December 20, 2021 at 12:23 pm

      Sounds like you need to move to California

  • Wayne Friedt

    December 8, 2021 at 1:26 pm

    Jesus is smarter than all these naysayers and says even at the cost of sacrificing our clothing we should have a weapon. Luke 22:36 Also see Luke11:21 which says, ” When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. “

  • Steve

    December 9, 2021 at 1:11 pm

    Excellent. Hopefully enough exposure will be given to the RINOs to pressure them into obeying the will of the voters, rather than whatever under-the-table shenanigans($$$ and blackmail?) are going on to make RINOs behave the way they do.

  • Justin lee

    December 9, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    More guns in view is a bigger incentive not to due something stupid, like theft or assault. It’s it’s in form of policing. The vast majority of people that will be get empowered and think they can bully with a gun will be noticed more easily now and taken account off or put down because they picked a fight with some they weren’t expecting to fight back. This will be a quick period I think and things will balance out soon to something most people will be more comfortable with.

  • Justin lee

    December 9, 2021 at 3:23 pm

    Sorry about my the spelling in the last post, I have big thumbs and auto correct gets some weird ideas for correcting errors 😑

  • Bryant Harrell

    December 9, 2021 at 8:01 pm

    Constitutional carry is awesome but I still think people need to train to be qualified. I am a national certified firearm instructor! I truly and learning the laws of the land and being a responsibly armed citizen. I do believe in a pool the second amendment. I’ve carried a firearm for over 35 years, from the military and as a security specialist as well as a private citizen for work, and self protection and I do know for a fact with all my experience nothing beats proper firearms training.

  • Álvaro castro

    December 10, 2021 at 2:32 pm

    Personally I believe everyone everyone should have some sorta of weapons , weather is a knife or a gun ! There’s a lot of bad people that have guns and their permit to carry , there’s also a lot of good people who have them ! I think at first it will be kinda weird that anyone who could buy a gun could also carry it ! The world is getting crazy , I mean just look at what’s going on with Russia and china , first of all I think they’re teaming up to do something evil against our country and all of the American people , there’s also a lot of bad people out there with guns that they steel from cars or from houses ! I think if there’s more people out there with guns all the bad people are going to think twice before robbing or stealing or beating anyone up, I think it’s probably best , but we won’t know till we see how it goes ! Everyone needs to sit down and take some time to think , we’ll all do busy with our daily lives and we’re all so self centered, is not like before when people would care about others ! Where are the good people or the good manners ? We forgetting that we’re all humans and we all should be kind to one another , at the end of the day no matter what our occupation is we’re all trying to go home and be with our family or friends our loved ones ! We need to be nicer to each other , help other people out who aren’t doing their best at this time , just because your doing better then the other person or have a higher position or make more money then the other person , we’re all human and a position doesn’t matter ! Everyone has their good and bad and everyone has their good quality as also bad qualities and bad habits , let’s try to stand united and try to understand the next person , for all this evil people who want to see others down who wants to steel from other who work hard who want to maybe kill and take someone’s life , we’ll sooner or later people like that end up either death, in prison or the hospital ! Remember at the end of the day everyone gets their , sometimes it takes longer for some bad people to get their karma back ! But trust my words one day they will , same exact thing goes for the good hearted human , you do good and u should receive good things and you will have a good life.

    • Scooter

      December 20, 2021 at 12:27 pm

      Just stay out of Chicago south side

  • Marcos Fulp

    December 14, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    As one of the only states that doesn’t allow open carry at all we should be ashamed! Im praying that Desantis will wrong this right soon

  • Ernie

    December 15, 2021 at 8:57 pm

    In all honesty a concealed weapon shouldn’t ever be seen or bring any attention. . As for what the founding fathers may have intended is we have the Constitutional right to protect ourselves. If anyone has an idea on how to take that right away from the people now is the time to speak…

    • Kevin MacDougal

      December 18, 2021 at 6:28 pm

      You are incorrect, We have a God given right to self defense. Protected by the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution. The Government does not GIVE us this right. The second amendment is about the citizens right to bear arms. Not just for self defense, but to overthrow a tyrannical government. I have a GOD given right to defend myself, my loved ones and my property. YOU or any LAW passed by any government cannot take that away. You can try .. but you will be met with equal force to include deadly force to stop your BULLSHIT!

      • PeterH

        December 18, 2021 at 7:31 pm

        You have a GOD GIVEN RIGHT to join a well trained militia…… which can be monitored by the State and Federal government!

        • zhombre

          December 19, 2021 at 8:43 am

          Did you receive that talking point from the odious grifters at the Lincoln Project? Read the Heller SCOTUS decision. And remember stare decisis. The mob of cretini on the left would are hysterical at the thought of RvW overturned but rejoice if Heller was.

        • Scooter

          December 20, 2021 at 12:30 pm

          Let put AOC in charge, I know Bernie Sanders maybe Pete if he’s done lactating

  • Kevin MacDougal

    December 18, 2021 at 7:08 am

    There are many OPEN carry states. Florida should join those ranks. A openly armed society is POLITE society. This will reduce crime rates and criminal gun violence, not increase it. With great power comes great responsibility. Proper Gun safety and awareness should be taught in our schools. K-12. Using a gun in the commission of a crime should be mandatory PRISON time. THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS- “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED!”

Comments are closed.


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