Just got an email from Florida Carry about the legislative situation in Florida. Turns out a couple of NRA "A-rated" REPUBLICANS have defeated several pro Second Amendment rights bills this session. Imagine that!
My two take aways:
1. Being a "Republican" is meaningless in terms of evaluating a politician as a proponent or opponent of Second Amendment rights.
2. Being "A-rated" by the NRA is meaningless in terms of evaluating a politician as a proponent or opponent of Second Amendment rights.
The most current issue is the Florida Constitution Commission, which meets only once every 20 years, and has been scheduled for 2017 and is being lobbied by Bloomberg groups and the above mentioned Republican politicians to include anti Second Amendment rights language into the state constitution.
You can read the story about the previous
betrayals anti-rights positions adopted by these NRA highest-rated Republicans here:
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/04/robert-farago/republican-florida-state-senator-anitere-flores-gun-zero-day/Excerpts:
In December of 2016, Senator Steube submitted a number of bills. One of them was SB-140. A wonderful omnibus bill that would give Florida permitted Open Carry, permitted Campus Carry, and the removal of numerous gun free zones. It was even scheduled to be passed in
Steube’s own committee. A body made up of nine folks total.
Five Republicans and Four Democrats.
All of the Republicans have good NRA ratings and backing. Yup…. Everything looked good.
Then once again, the usual happened. In early January SB-140 was scheduled for a vote in committee.
The vote was postponed since Senator Anitere Flores (R) and Senator Rene Garcia (R) ["wise latinas" both, no doubt...]
were not on board.Since that point it has been a dead end. Senator Flores has
blocked every committee meeting and
killed every bill via her actions. Remember now, Senator Flores is a NRA ‘A’ rated candidate and has been endorsed by the NRA since 2010.
Worse, back in June and July of 2016; Sen. Flores publicly sided with Democrats and voted ‘yes’ for a Special Legislative Session to be called for Gun Control. That was on June 28, 2016. Then on July 6, 2016; Sen. Flores sent Marion P. Hammer a personal letter begging for NRA Endorsement and the NRA gave her another ‘A’ rating and endorsed her again.
As a NRA member, I’m angry. As a Floridian, I’m angry. As a Republican, I’m angry. Because other than the NRA that has failed; the Florida GOP has too.
I’ve contacted the Florida GOP numerous times and out of the 150+ members that make up the party. Only three…. Yes, THREE FL GOP Committee Members have voiced a concern in how the FL GOP keeps having
Republican Senators and Representatives year after year kill Pro-Gun legislation when
the FL GOP campaigns on a Pro-Gun stance. It is sickening.