The latest from Florida concerning guns in vehicles at work

[benzuncle]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida residents would be able to keep firearms in their vehicles while at work under a bill that has now passed both the Florida House and Senate.

The bill passed the Senate on Wednesday and an identical version passed the House two weeks ago.

Supporters of the bill say people have a constitutional right to keep guns in their cars for protection. Businesses had argued they have a constitutional right to set the rules on their own property.

The bill states that businesses cannot prohibit employees or customers from keeping a legally owned gun locked inside their cars, as long as the gun owner has a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 26-13. The bill now goes to the governor.

[KimberPB]

You beat me to it! I was just about to post! lol

You should see some of the comments on TBO.com on the issue! Poeple are already coming out of the wood work with the same old crap!

"Oh great! It ought to be interesting to see what happens when a company has to tell their employees that they are being laid off, or the company is closing, or companies like Verizon are putting too much pressure "to sell" on their employees in order to keep their jobs. It only takes one stressed out individual to walk out to his/her car and come back in. Lord help us all!"

And my favorite!
"There is no need in a civilized society for anyone, particularly males, to own, let alone carry, handguns. But then, this society is just about the worst of any industrialized country and there is no interest in fixing it."

[kwo51]

Email the governor today and tell him to sign HB503.!!!!!!!!!

[underwritingtech]

kwo51 is absolutely right. We need to pressure Charlie Crist to sign this bill.

[benzuncle]

Letting the Gov know how you feel is the perfect thing to do, although he has vowed to sign it. I'll give him a pen if he can't find one at the Phallic Symbol (aka the State Capital Building complex).

[toreskha]

I'm curious as to whether anyone knows why this became an issue to begin with? Who discovered a gun in an employee's car, and why did they find it? :confused22:

[teknoid]

I'm curious as to whether anyone knows why this became an issue to begin with? Who discovered a gun in an employee's car, and why did they find it? :confused22:

Maybe it was in response to the Weyerhouser (sp?) fiasco. I think that was in OK. If I'm not mistaken, that was the impetus for KY to pass such a law. I believe we were second on this, behind Minn.

[benzuncle]

I recall a Florida Power guy (or maybe by then it was Progress Energy), or an Orlando Utilities worker that got caught with a firearm in his truck along with a Dixie flag on it. I'm not sure that was why this came up in the first place but I'm thinking it had something to do with it. Dude lost his job over it.

[Hallow]

I have a friend who was in a confrontation that involved the him drawing his weapon on someone that had been harassing him. He didn't shoot him but waited for the police to arrive for help. Unfortunately, it made the papers and his job found out that he carried a gun in his vehicle. Regardless of the fact that the gun was obtained legally, carried it legally in his vehicle and he had his CWL, they fired him anyway.

+1 for being happy that this is now a non-issue for others.

[sdf2000]

Will this mean I will need to go get a JOB!!! ICH...