Your #1 source for blades and firearms news and updates…

  • Home
  • Knives
  • News
  • Hunting
  • Tactical
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
Subscribe
Font ResizerAa
Blade ShopperBlade Shopper
  • News
  • Knives
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Tactical
  • Hunting
  • Videos
Search
  • Home
  • Knives
  • News
  • Hunting
  • Tactical
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Videos
banner
Create an Amazing Newspaper
Discover thousands of options, easy to customize layouts, one-click to import demo and much more.
Learn More

Stay Updated

Get the latest headlines, discounts for the military community, and guides to maximizing your benefits
Subscribe

Explore

  • Photo of The Day
  • Opinion
  • Today's Epaper
  • Trending News
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Special Deals
Home » Gun Owners of America fights Florida's ban on carrying firearms openly: 'Blatant infringement'

Gun Owners of America fights Florida's ban on carrying firearms openly: 'Blatant infringement'

Adam Green By Adam Green August 5, 2024 7 Min Read
Share
Gun Owners of America fights Florida's ban on carrying firearms openly: 'Blatant infringement'

Join Fox News for access to this content

Plus special access to select articles and other premium content with your account – free of charge.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive.

Please enter a valid email address.

Having trouble? Click here.

FIRST ON FOX: Gun rights activists are taking up the fight to strike down Florida’s ban on openly carrying firearms after the Republican-controlled legislature rejected an repeal effort. 

Gun Owners of America (GOA) is filing a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida that seeks to have the 1893 gun restriction declared unconstitutional and a court order to block enforcement of the law. The challenged statute makes it “unlawful for any person to openly carry on or about his or her person any firearm or electric weapon or device.” 

“Despite its reputation as a largely gun-friendly state, Florida inexplicably continues to prohibit the peaceable carrying of firearms in an open and unconcealed manner,” the complaint obtained by Fox News Digital states. 

“This blatant infringement of the Second Amendment right to ‘bear arms’ runs counter to this nation’s historical tradition and would have criminalized the very colonists who openly carried their muskets and mustered on the greens at Lexington and Concord to fight for their independence.” 

DESANTIS’ SIGNATURE TIPS US INTO MAJORITY ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY’ NATION WITH NEW FLORIDA GUN RIGHTS LAW

The arguments advanced by Gun Owners of America assert Florida’s open carry ban is outside the history and tradition of firearms regulation in the U.S. – a direct appeal to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen (2022). The high court held that the ability to carry firearms in public is a constitutional right and that any restrictions must fit within the nation’s “historical tradition of firearm regulation.” 

Gun Owners of America points out the Florida open carry ban was adopted decades after Reconstruction and more than a century after the Second Amendment was ratified. “To make matters worse, that 1893 carry ban openly targeted only a disfavored subset of the population – newly freed Blacks – while Whites enjoyed de facto immunity from enforcement,” the complaint asserts. 

Plaintiffs also say Florida is both a historical outlier and presently one of only a few states that entirely bans the open carry of firearms. The others are blue states California, Illinois and New York, along with the District of Columbia. “In contrast, the vast majority of states permit the open carry of all manner of firearms (both handguns and long guns), by any law-abiding adult and without any sort of permit at all,” the complaint states. 

“Plaintiffs seek preliminary followed by permanent injunctive relief, as well as declaratory and other relief, to rectify Florida’s infringement of an enumerated right that ‘shall not be infringed.’”

KYLE RITTENHOUSE WALKS BACK DECLARING HE WAS NOT VOTING FOR TRUMP FOR NOT BEING ‘PRO-GUN ENOUGH’

Ron DeSantis waves from the stage on Day 2 of the Republican National Convention

The lawsuit comes after Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a GOP-backed bill last year that eliminated a requirement for state residents to obtain a permit to carry concealed firearms. The law allows eligible citizens 21 years of age and up to carry without asking the government for a permit and without paying a fee. The legislation did not change who is eligible to obtain a carry permit, and those who still wish to get a permit may do so under the law. 

A DeSantis administration official told Fox News Digital the governor supported efforts to include repealing the open carry ban in that legislation, but state lawmakers would not come around. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, a Republican from Naples, said at the time she does not support open carry because the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) and other law enforcement groups opposed the effort, according to the Florida Phoenix. 

Florida Democrats and anti-gun activists were also against the constitutional carry law, warning that easing access to concealed carry would lead to more violence. Anti-gun group Everytown for Gun Safety calls open carry a “dangerous policy” that is supported by hate groups and claims it is “exploited by White supremacists and opposed by law enforcement and the public.” 

MAJ TOURE: EDUCATE ‘AMERICANS IN THE MOST VULNERABLE AREAS’ TO ‘EXERCISE THEIR SECOND AMENDMENT RIGHTS’

A man open carries a pistol in Texas.

Though Second Amendment supporters backed the Florida constitutional carry law, some, like GOA, said it did not go far enough because the reform doesn’t apply to open carry. 

“Florida lawmakers claim to be pro-gun, but year after year, they’ve refused to repeal the 1987 ban on open carry, leaving Floridians in the very anti-gun company of New York, Illinois, and California where this is also prohibited,” said Erich Pratt, GOA’s senior vice president. 

“GOA has been left with no choice but to sue the state, especially since GOA’s open carry bill was blocked by Republican legislative leadership during the 2024 session’s first week. 

“This ban has no historical basis and will surely be found unconstitutional under the Bruen precedent. We look forward to making our case and fighting for law-abiding Floridians.”

St. Lucie County Sheriff Keith Pearson, State Attorney Thomas Bakkedahl and the State Attorney’s Office for the 19th Judicial Circuit of Florida are named as defendants in the complaint. 

Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton contributed to this report.

Read the full article here

Share This Article
Facebook X Copy Link Print
Previous Article Blade HQ Anniversary Sale 2022 Blade HQ Anniversary Sale 2022
Next Article SIMPLE, CLEAN , & GOODLOOKING EDC KNIFE SIMPLE, CLEAN , & GOODLOOKING EDC KNIFE
Leave a Comment Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Wake up with our popular morning roundup of the day's top blades, firearms and survavial news and updates.

Bill Clinton Praised Epstein For His “Childlike Curiosity”

July 25, 2025

“I Was in Shock”: Maggie Palfrey’s Unforgettable Win at CMP 3P Nationals

July 25, 2025

MIGRA and 2F.7 Deliver the Ultimate Waterfowl Load

July 25, 2025

We Rented a Forest Service Cabin, and Spent the Trip Battling Problem Bears

July 25, 2025

The Untouchables: The Sexual Predators Within America’s Power Elite

July 25, 2025

You Might Also Like

When Declaring A Firearm Goes Perfectly

When Declaring A Firearm Goes Perfectly

News
It’s Official: Oklahoma Law Now Protects Defensive Display of Firearms

It’s Official: Oklahoma Law Now Protects Defensive Display of Firearms

News
NY Concealed Carrier Fires On Teens In 2 Stolen Cars Who Tried Running Him Over, 17-Year-Old Shot

NY Concealed Carrier Fires On Teens In 2 Stolen Cars Who Tried Running Him Over, 17-Year-Old Shot

News
Concealed Carry Holder Shoots Alleged Dealer In Chicago Altercation

Concealed Carry Holder Shoots Alleged Dealer In Chicago Altercation

News

2025 © Blade Shopper. All rights reserved.

Helpful Links

  • News
  • Knives
  • Prepping & Survival
  • Tactical
  • Hunting
  • Videos

Resources

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Press Release
  • Advertise
  • Contact

Popuplar

Bill Clinton Praised Epstein For His “Childlike Curiosity”
Everything You Need to Know About Joining the Air Force
Bournemouth Air Festival: The UK’s Largest Air Festival
We provide daily defense news, benefits information, veteran employment resources, spouse and family resources.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?