ALERT! Florida's Stand Your Ground Law Stood Its Ground Against Attack

DATE:   November 8, 2013
TO:      USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM:  Marion P. Hammer
            USF Executive Director
            NRA Past President

By an overwhelming bipartisan vote of 11-2, the Florida House Criminal Justice Committee defeated House Bill 4003 by Representative Alan Williams (D). 

HB-4003 would have repealed Florida’s Castle Doctrine/Stand Your Ground law.

House Speaker Will Weatherford kept his word.  He gave Representative Williams and his Dream Defenders the hearing they requested.

Committee Chairman Matt Gaetz kept his word.  He skillfully and expertly ran a fair, open and orderly 5-hour hearing. 

In a structured format, each side was allowed 30 minutes for Legislators who were not on the Committee to speak on the bill. 

Speaking in opposition to repeal were Representative Jason Brodeur (R), Representative Marti Coley (R) and Representative Katie Edwards (D)

Representative Alan Williams was the only Legislator who spoke in the 30 minute time slot allocated for legislators to speak in favor of repeal.

Speaking for 2 minutes each were 59 speakers from around the state (24 in support of repeal and 35 opposed to repeal). Following speakers on both sides of the issue, and spirited closing debate,  the vote was as follows:

Voting Against the Bill To Repeal Stand Your Ground:

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Voting in Favor of the Bill to Repeal  Stand Your Ground

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For a fair representation of the hearing, please read the article, Stand Your Ground repeal voted down in committee, written by Karl Etters in The Tallahassee Democrat.