| DATE: | February 4, 2021 |
| TO: | USF & NRA Members and Friends |
| FROM: | Marion P. Hammer |
| USF Executive Director | |
| NRA Past President |
YOUR HELP IS ESSENTIAL!
LEGISLATORS DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU STAND UNLESS YOU TELL THEM.
On Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at 3:30pm, the House Criminal Justice Committee will hear HB-259 Sponsored by Rep. Jayer Williamson & Rep. Cord Byrd and co-sponsored by Reps. Alexander Andrade, Tommy Gregory, Fred Hawkins, Spencer Roach, Jason Shoaf, and Clay Yarborough.
HB-259is a bill to restore the constitutional right of churches and church goers to protect themselves and their families while in a religious institution.
There are eighteen (18) members of the House Criminal Justice Committee. Six (6) are Democrats and Democrat Legislators are traditionally very anti-gun. Twelve (12) are Republicans who need to hear from you so they know you support this bill and the constitutional rights and freedom it restores.
PLEASE IMMEDIATELY EMAIL THESE REPRESENTATIVES!
URGE THEM TO VOTE YES ON HB-259
In the subject line put: Vote YES on HB-259 Safety of Churches!
(Block and Copy All email addresses into the "Send To" box)
ASK them to PLEASE vote YES on HB-259 Safety of Churches, when it comes up in the House Criminal Justice Committee on Wednesday, February 10, 2021.
BACKGROUND
By law, under Florida Statutes in s.790.06 law-abiding citizens may receive licenses to carry concealed weapons and firearms (CWL) for lawful purposes.
Places where license holders are NOT AUTHORIZED to carry firearms are listed in s.790.06(12). Nothing in that section prohibits license holders from carrying in churches, synagogues or other religious institutions.
Nonetheless, anti-gun agitators have inserted language in other parts of the statutes that has been interpreted to prohibit firearms in religious institutions if any kind of child care is every conducted, at any time, on the private property of the church, synagogue or other religious institution. That means if child care is conducted Monday-Friday from 9-5, no firearms are EVER allowed t any time including on Saturday or Sunday or any holiday.
This bill will put a stop to that and will allow license holders to carry on church property (just like any other private property) unless the specific church prohibits it.
If a church or other religious institution prohibits the right to carry and self-defense rights by CWL license holders, the license holder can choose to use another religious institution if desired.
There are over 2 Million firearms license holders in our state. They are around children all day, every day, where parents take children shopping or anywhere outside the home. They pose no danger to children or anyone else. Nobody even knows who is and who is not carrying.
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