Earlier today we ran a post from a reader regarding the legislative bottleneck holding up Florida Senate Bill 140 which would legalize open carry in the Sunshine state. That reader has since gotten some more details on the situation, none of it good:

Sen. Greg Steube’s office has told me that the good Senator is still on board with open carry, but the problem he is now facing is the other committee members. There are nine total (counting Sen. Steube) and of the eight other members, four are Republican. And we know that the three Democrat members won’t vote in favor of the open carry bill.

Chair: Senator Greg Steube (R)

Vice Chair: Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R)

Senator Anitere Flores (R)

Senator Rene Garcia (R)

Senator Debbie Mayfield (R)

Senator Bobby Powell (D)

Senator Perry E. Thurston, Jr. (D)

Senator Audrey Gibson (D)

Senator Randolph Bracy (D)

That’s a 5/4 split in favor of open carry. Theoretically. This should be a cake walk. Five Republicans members means the Democrats aren’t even an issue. But here we have four Republicans that aren’t currently in favor of strengthening and further securing the 2nd Amendment in Florida.

Here is the contact information for the four Republicans who are selling our constitutional rights down river:

Vice Chair of the Florida Senate Judiciary Committee: Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (R)

https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S27 District Office

2310 First Street Unit 305

Fort Myers, FL 33901

(239) 338-2570 Tallahassee Office

400 Senate Office Building 404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5027

Senator Anitere Flores (R)

https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S39 District Office

10691 North Kendall Dr. Suite 309

Miami, FL 33176

(305) 270-6550 Tallahassee Office

404 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5039

Senator Rene Garcia (R)

District Office

1490 West 68th Street Suite 201

Hialeah, FL 33014

(305) 364-3100

FAX (305) 364-3110. Tallahassee Office

310 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5036

Senator Debbie Mayfield (R)

https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/S17 District Office

900 E. Strawbridge Avenue

Melbourne, FL 32901

(321) 409-2025 Satellite Office

1801 27th Street

Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 226-1970 Tallahassee Office

324 Senate Office Building

404 South Monroe Street

Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100

(850) 487-5017

So in plain English, we have four Republican State Senators and Senator Steube (author of the open carry bill) who are standing between 1.69 million citizens and the restoration of their rights. Politically speaking this is a win for the anti-2nd Amendment forces without having to fire a shot. If the Republicans won’t touch back it, SB-140 will be stuck in committee and effectively dead.