Here's my after action report from yesterday's events at the Florida Capitol.

Also big thanks to SGB for his help yesterday.




Yesterday, March 7, 2017 was the first day of the Legislative Session for Florida and with that two 2nd Amendment related bills were up for debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The same committee where Open Carry and Campus Carry were killed last year by then Republican Committee Chair Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla. As you know, there has been on ongoing issue this year in that same committee. This time with two Republican Senators.

Senator Anitere Flores, the Florida Senate’s President Pro Tempore. She’s the second most powerful Senator under the Senate President, Joe Negron. The other is Senator Rene Garcia.

The two bills up for debate were SB 616 and SB 646. SB 616 was about Guns and Court Houses. It would not have allowed concealed carry in the court, it simply would have allowed licensed permitted concealed carry holders to check in their gun with the police/sheriff stationed at the court. Nothing more and nothing less. SB 646 would have decriminalized accidental exposure of a concealed firearm. It would have made it a $25 dollar fine to the Clerk of the Court and a non arrestable offense.

Both bills were scheduled to be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee at 4pm. Myself and a number of Florida 2nd Amendment Supporters spent all day at the Capitol meeting with Senators that are part of the Judiciary Committee.

At 1pm we met with Senator Flores’ Office. We presented the facts and explained why SB 646 needed to be passed, especially after the unjust ruling from the Florida Supreme Court in Norman v State. Then we met with Senator Mayfield’s Office at 2pm. Senator Mayfield’s Staff stated with no uncertain term that she supports SB 646 and she does not agree with the Court ruling in Norman v State. Mr. Norman lives in her district and she found it appalling to what happened to him.

At 3pm we met with Senator Garcia. With our group was a current FSU student that was raped on campus in 2014. She told Senator Garcia in person that she was raped on campus and then asked him if he would support Campus Carry. Senator Garcia flat out stated no that he will not support it. Senator was also asked if he’d support Open Carry and he said no.

At 3:30pm we then met with Sen. Steube to discuss SB 646 and of course the actual elephant in the room. SB 644 (Legitimate Open Carry) and SB 622 (Legitimate Open Carry). We asked Sen. Steube if Senate President Joe Negron will use his constitutional authority to places these bills directly for a floor vote in the Senate and he stated that it does not appear that Senate President Negron will not do such an act.  We were unable to get word directly from Senate President Joe Negron. Also no word from the House on where their Pro Gun Bills are at the moment either.

We then attended the Committee Meeting at 4pm. The first 2nd Amendment bill to be heard was SB 616 (Courthouse gun check in). During the debate. Sen. Flores openly stated that she will only vote for this bill because it is very limited in scope and she does not support Campus Carry, Airport Carry, School Carry, or Open Carry. Senator Garcia then stated that he shares beliefs and supports Senator Flores’ statements and furthermore he then went on about mental health.

Senator Flores stated “I do not support guns on campus, I do not support having guns in airports and I do not support guns in school zones. I don’t support those things.”

Senator Garcia stated “I want to echo the sentiments Sen. Flores stated.”

I must say, Senator Debbie Mayfield stood strong in the opposition that is Senator Flores and her lackey Senator Garcia. Senator Mayfield said “I am one of those that believe it is a God given right for us to protect ourselves and to carry a gun.”

As of this point, Campus Carry and Open Carry is dead in Florida unless Senate President Joe Negron pulls these bills out of committee and move them directly to a floor vote. Senator Greg Steube is fighting an uphill battle this year. Sadly, for a State under Republican control since 1996, it appears that once again Republicans are killing Pro Gun Legislation by smothering it in the cradle via committee and worse it is being done by Senate President Joe Negron’s top lieutenant and the second most powerful person, Senator Anitere Flores.

Senator Flores was given a 100% A+ rating by the NRA in 2015 and the NRA endorsed her for her bid to run for Florida Senate in 2010.

what a shame


I guess the repercussion would be to vote them out

but this I do not know much about Florida politics since I have only been here a short while I do not know who could replace them


I am really shocked that the Republicans have been in charge since 1996 and they are not doing anything for the people

it sucks

thanks for all the work you do

She is term limited. She has no re-election. Word is she might run for Mayor of Miami-Dade County in 2018. She currently has an exploritory committee

I can see how these people get voted in.  Districts gonna district.  What I don't understand is how they get leadership positions.  It's the same shit in DC.  The biggest pieces of shit seem to make it to the top.

Oh look....



NRA rated Miguel Diaz de la Portilla an A when he was the one fucking Florida gun owners over and it seems that they did the same exact thing with Anitere Flores as she's doing the same.

The NRA is clearly playing chess!

If it is too small, right click and open it in a new tab/window.

MARION HAMMER WASN'T EVEN THERE!!!!!!

Only Eric Friday of Florida Carry and Shayna Lopez-Rivas of FSU Students for Campus Carry was there. Ms. Lopez-Rivas and I were working together all day yesterday along with our very own FLHTF Moderator SGB and a Committee Member of the Okaloosa County GOP.

Thanks for exposing the sham

Yup 

The problem is the FL GOP knows that they have us between a rock and a hard place. They cou4 always jusy have the Democrats run things and let them go hog wild with assault weapon bans, mag bans, for gun free zones, etc...

Well.... our last option is to harass the every living fuck out of Joe Negron. No emails.... just phone calls and letters.  

December 2015: Senate President-designate Joe Negron sidesteps gun bill controversy 

District Office: 
3500 Southwest Corporate Parkway 
Suite 204 
Palm City, FL 34990 
(772) 219-1665 
Senate VOIP: 42500 
FAX (772) 219-1666 
Toll Free (888) 759-0791 

Tallahassee Office 
305 Senate Office Building 
404 South Monroe Street 
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 
(850) 487-5025 
Senate VOIP: 5025 

He has an additional office since he's the Senate President. 

Office Mailing Address: 
404 S. Monroe Street 
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100 
Phone: (850) 487-5229

Among the pro-gun bills Flores supported before she flipped are: Firearms in National Forests, Firearms in vehicles in parking lots, Prohibiting firearm discrimination in adoptions, the “Pop Tart legislation, Allowing tax collectors to process concleaed permit applications and 2005’s Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground bill.

In 2010, she signed the State Legislator Amicus Brief in the landmark McDonald V. Chicago case, which was pending before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Instead of the standard NRA Questionnaire, she wrote a personal letter in July 6, 2016 and sent to Marion Hammer https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/3512802-Anitere-Flores-2016-Election-Letter.html.


The letter stated the following.

“I have always been and will continue to be a fierce defender of our constitutional rights,” Flores wrote. “The Second Amendment, in particular, guarantees a fundamental individual right to keep and bear arms that government has no right to infringe upon. During my years in public service, my record shows that I have acted in accordance with these beliefs and values."

Sen. Flores voted in favor of every pro-gun bill she ever saw except for two absences and now she turned on us and sided with Bloomberg's Moms Demand Action.

I know why. She bashed our Constitutional Rights on the rock of despotism for political career advancement since she wants to run for Miami Mayor. 

Marion Hammer says she doesn't know.... it is pretty obvious.

Amazing.... from July 6, 2016 to March 7, 2017..... such a reversal.

Marion Hammer needs to retire

En route to Capitol to confront Sen. Flores on her betrayal of FL Gun Owner w/ her NRA Letter


I am en route right now to confront Sen. Flores' betrayal to FL Gun Owners. In July 2016 she sent a letter to the NRA stating that she fully supports the 2nd Amendment.  

 

Then in January after the Ft. Lauderdale Terrorist Attack she sided with Democrats to call for a Special Session for Gun Control. 

 

Then on March 7, 2017 she stated this during a committee hearing. 

 


I have the original NRA letter and I will be hand delivering it to the Senator and wanting an answer on why the change and why she is allying herself with Bloomberg's Moms Demand Action.