Florida Second Amendment Protection Act gains support
Concerns about efforts to restrict the right to bear arms is growing. This issue came to the forefront of American gun owners when US Secretary of State John Kerry signed the United Nations Arms Treaty. According to Guns.com:
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) sent a letter today [October 15th]to the White House, along with 49 other senators and 181 members of the U.S. House, urging the president to notify the U.N. that the United States does not plan on ratifying the controversial Arms Trade Treaty, which seeks to regulate the world’s annual exchange of $70 billion in conventional weaponry.
Despite the fact Secretary of State John Kerry has signed the agreement and President Obama strongly backs it, the ultimate decision on whether it is adopted by the U.S. falls to the Senate, which must pass it by a two-thirds majority.
Given that 50 senators have promised to vote against the ATT, it’s pretty much dead in the water and that was the essence of Manchin’s letter.
Florida has over one million concealed carry permit holders, it is estimated that nearly 25% of Floridians own a gun and the sunshine state has one of the strongest stand your ground protection statutes in the nation. What gun owners see as a growing threat to their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms has lead to the introduction of the Second Amendment Protection Act, which will be debated during the 2014 legislative session. Gun Owners of America has endorsed and it members are supporting the Florida Second Amendment Protection Act.
The proposed legislation would prohibit any state cooperation with federal acts that violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
“No agency of this state, political subdivision of this state, or employee of an agency or political subdivision acting in his or her official capacity, or corporation providing services on behalf of this state or a political subdivision of this state shall enforce any federal act, law, order, rule, or regulation of the federal government of the United States regarding a personal firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition within the limits of this State.”
“The proposed Florida Second Amendment Preservation Act is the kind of legislation that all states should be enacting. Since the Federal government seems not to understand the meaning of ‘shall not be infringed,’ the states must step in to reign in an out-of-control government in Washington,” Gun Owners of America Executive Director Larry Pratt said.
The bill rests on the non-commandeering doctrine that holds the federal government cannot compel states to enforce federal acts.
“There is absolutely no legitimate debate on this issue,” Tenth Amendment Center national communications director Mike Maharrey said. “The Supreme Court has held at least four times that the federal government cannot force states to into action on its behalf. This bill essentially lets the feds know, if they want to violate Floridian’s rights they’ll have to try and do it themselves.”
Maharrey said Florida Second Amendment Protection Act would seriously impede any federal attempts to violate the right to keep and bear arms in the Sunshine State. Just last week, the National Governors Association admitted in a letter to Congress that the feds need help “in implementing most federal programs.”
“Northern states effectively used this exact same strategy to thwart draconian federal fugitive slave acts allowing black people to be snatched up and hauled back south into slavery simply on the word of a white man,” Maharrey said. “By refusing to lift a finger to help, states can slam the door on unconstitutional federal acts.”
Gun Owners of America has over 300,000 members nationwide. Florida Tenth Amendment Center outreach director Francisco Rodriguez said he’s thrilled to have the organization backing the legislation.
“The Florida Tenth Amendment Center is anticipating flood of support for this bill preserving the Second Amendment, and GOA’s endorsement sparks the engine to accelerate the success.”
You can find more information on the legislation, including the full text HERE.
ABOUT GUN OWNERS OF AMERICA
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is a non-profit lobbying organization formed in 1975 to preserve and defend the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. GOA sees firearms ownership as a freedom issue.
ABOUT THE TENTH AMENDMENT CENTER
The Tenth Amendment Center exists to promote and advance a return to a proper balance of power between federal and State governments envisioned by our founders, prescribed by the Constitution and explicitly declared in the Tenth Amendment. The TAC works to preserve and protect the principle of strictly limited government through information, education, and activism.
