By LUIS VALDES via TTAG

Florida Senate Republicans under the authority of Bloomberg-financed Senate President Bill Galvano (R) have already voted once for a universal background check bill (SB 7028). It appears that there is now a coordinated effort in both the House and Senate to pass another gun-related bill.

House Bill 183 introduced by Rep. Mel Ponder (R) and Senate Bill 1524 introduced by Sen. George Gainer (R) are both titled Prohibited Places for Weapons and Firearms.

Coincidentally, both bills grant an exemption to Florida lawmakers and elected officials from the CCW ban. Currently, under Statute 790.06(12)(a)(7), it is illegal for a licensed concealed weapons permit holder to carry at:

7. Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district.

That’s apparently inconvenient for the lawmakers, therefore something must be done. They wish to amend the law and grant themselves and their minor league municipal political teammates an exemption to the prohibition. The wording of the proposed bills states the following:

7. Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district, except that nothing in this section precludes an elected member of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district licensed under this section from carrying a concealed weapon or firearm to a meeting of the governing body of which he or she is a member;

This is perfectly representative of the noble, egalitarian ideals that lawmakers espouse so strenuously during their campaigns for office.

The House’s Criminal Justice Subcommittee will bring the bill up for a vote tomorrow. The committee is made up of five Democrats and ten Republicans. House Speaker Jose Oliva has stated in regards to universal background checks that the House does not support that measure, if that means anything.

It will be instructive to see where the House Republicans stand on this bill. Are they actually for equality under the law or do they favor special exemptions for the anointed and creation of a noble class that rules over the plebeian peasantry?