Guns – At Work

Published July 1st, 2008

By John Johnston
Managing Editor

Florida leads or is near the top of the nation in more than a few things, i.e.

• Number one in annual lightening strikes
• Number two in AIDS cases.
• Number one in mortgage fraud
• Number one in concealed weapons licenses.

And as of today, that last number is likely to go much higher – because the so-called “guns at work” law takes effect today.

Bottom line: the Preservation and Protection of the Right to Keep and Bear Arms in Motor Vehicles Act of 2008 now permits a person to bring to work a loaded handgun, and keep it locked in his or her automobile.

Opposed by the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, and other business organizations statewide, the guns at work laws was nonetheless signed by Governor Charlie Crist in April. The Florida Chamber and Retail Federal have since filed federal litigation, saying the law violates the rights of business property owners to regulate what happens on those properties. And a federal court in Oklahoma has ruled that a similar guns-at-work law in Oklahoma violates the Federal Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA).

A Florida concealed weapons license can be obtained by simply declaring you want it for self-defense.  You then need to send fingerprints to the FBI for a background check, pass a 10-question test, take a two-hour safety class, and pay a little more than $100 in fees.

Oh -- and there’s one more requirement.  To get your concealed weapons permit, you need to fire your gun once, in front of a licensed firearms instructor.

Once.

To keep that permit, you only need to pay a $65 annual fee.

Forever.

And never again have to demonstrate that you know how to use the weapon safely. 

Beyond the new law, another recent law is likely increasing concealed weapons permit holders as well -- concealed weapons permit information used to be a public record; as of 2004, it’s now private.

The Division of Licensing at the State Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services processes new license applications.  It has processed nearly 16,000 more new license applications this year than it did in 2006/06 – and this year has issued more first time concealed weapons licenses than last year – about 10,000 more.

More than 500,000 persons in Florida now have concealed weapons permits – and can now bring those weapons to work, locked in a vehicle.

Feel any safer?