DATE: April 10, 2015
TO: USF & NRA Member and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President
On Thursday, 4/9/2015, two bills, important to gun owners, PASSED the House. One bill now goes to the Governor for his signature and the other bill goes to the Senate.
HB-7141 Tax Cut Package by Finance and Tax Committee and Representative Matt Gaetz (R-Shalimar) PASSED by a vote of 112-3 and now goes to the Senate.
The Tax Package contains language to remove the sales tax on Gun Club and range membership fees. The tax has been unlawfully imposed by the Department of Revenue in violation of the firearms preemption law. The bill also contains the July 4th Sales-Tax-Free-Holiday on long guns, ammunition, camping and fishing gear.
On Wednesday, Representative Lori Berman (D-Boynton Beach) attempted with a floor amendment to take the Gun Club tax exemption language out the bill but it was defeated by a vote of 31 YES and 75 NO.
Representative Jose Rodriguez (D-Miami) offered two amendments to gut the July 4th Sales Tax Free Holiday on firearms and ammunition. One was defeated on a voice vote and the other was withdrawn.
HB-493 Firearms/Emergency Evacuation by Representative Heather Fitzenhagen (R-Ft. Myers) and its companion bill, SB-290 by Senator Jeff Brandes were heard on the House Floor. Representative Fitzenhagen moved to take up the Senate bill, which had already passed the Senate so the House could pass it and send it to the Governor.
SB-290 Firearms/Emergency Evacuation by Representative Heather Fitzenhagen and Senator Jeff Brandes PASSED the House by a vote of 86-26 and now heads to Governor Rick Scott for his signature.
SB-290 Firearms/Evacuation allows citizens to carry their firearms with them during a mandatory evacuation ordered by the Governor or local government during a declared state of emergency.
The conduct of state University Police Chiefs and University lobbyists continues to be exposed in the media.
Please read the news clippings listed below:
Ethics complaint names 10 campus police chiefs by Lee Williams in the Herald-Tribune on April 3, 2015
University Police Chiefs Violated Law Testifying Against Campus Carry, Says Ethic Complaint by Allison Nielson in the Sunshine State News on April 6, 2015
Did campus-carry opponents go too far? by Lee Williams in the Herald-Tribune, The Gun Writer on April 8, 2015
FIU accused of exaggerating guns-on-campus bill’s cost by Lee Williams in the on April 8, 2015
The evidence is glaring and we believe it will be hard for the Ethics Commission to overlook it or for any legitimate investigation to whitewash it.
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