Florida lawmakers weigh getting rid of licenses to conceal carry firearms

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — There are now talks to let Floridians carry concealed weapons without licenses.

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Currently, licenses are required in Florida for concealed carry. The process includes several steps such as a criminal background check.

However, many sheriffs in Florida support doing away with these licenses. Many stood alongside House Speaker Paul Renner as he called the concealed carry permit an unnecessary government permission slip.

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To obtain a concealed carry license, you have to be over 21 years old and demonstrate competency with a gun. Felons and those with a history of drug abuse are likely to be deemed ineligible.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey stood in support of ending the concealed carry license, saying “it’s about time.”

Orange County Sheriff John Mina does not support the measure, telling Channel 9 in a statement, “The bill, if passed, puts law enforcement in the perilous position of having to determine, sometimes within a split second, whether someone carrying a gun is simply exercising their rights, or intends to do harm.”

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Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf said it is irresponsible, and will only lead to more violence, crime and lives lost.

“We’re not speaking in the abstract, we’re not speaking about the hypothetical -- we’re talking about real people whose lives are cut short in this country because of our obsession to easy access to guns,” he said.

The session starts March 7, but the bill already has the support of the Senate president and Gov. Ron DeSantis, so the likelihood of it passing at this point is high.

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