Florida legislature to Biden: Hands off our guns

Florida House, Senate resolutions warn feds not to violate Second Amendment

The Florida House and Senate have introduced two resolutions that send a strong message to the federal government not to violate the Second Amendment, and not to punish Floridians for exercising a constitutional right.

HB 1301 and SB 1630 express “the consensus of the Florida Legislature that the President's proposals to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of law-abiding citizens violates the Constitution; provides Florida Legislature, on behalf of the residents of this state, intends to use all of its lawful authority and power to resist or overturn any federal gun-control measure that violates the right of Florida residents to keep and bear arms.”

The bills were sponsored by Republicans Rep. Jason Shoaf and Sen. Travis Hutson.

Copies of the resolutions are being sent to President Biden, the Senate President, the Speaker of the house, and to every member of Florida’s congressional delegation.

Here’s the text of the House Bill:

F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S

A memorial to the Congress of the United States, expressing the consensus of the Florida Legislature that proposals forthcoming at the federal level to restrict the right to keep and bear arms violate the Constitution of the United States and affirming the intent of the Florida Legislature to do everything in its power to protect the rights of Florida residents under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and under the Florida Constitution.

WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and Section 8, Article I of the Florida Constitution protect the individual right to keep and bear arms, and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to keep and bear arms commonly used for lawful purposes, and

WHEREAS, the President of the United States has made clear his intent to press the United States Congress to pass legislation that would restrict the lawful acquisition and possession of firearms and ban many firearms commonly used for self-defense, hunting, competition, and target shooting, and

WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States has recognized that the principles of separate sovereignty, as embodied in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, prohibit the Federal Government from requiring the State of Florida or its officers to take part in any federal gun-control scheme, and

WHEREAS, it is the duty of the State of Florida to exercise all of its lawful authority to protect the right of all Florida residents to keep and bear arms,

NOW, THEREFORE, Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: That it is the consensus of the Florida Legislature that the President's proposals to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of law-abiding citizens violates the Constitution of the United States.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Legislature, on behalf of the State of Florida and residents of this state, intends to use all of its lawful authority and power to resist or overturn any federal gun-control measure that violates the right of Florida residents to keep and bear arms.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be dispatched to the President of the United States, to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and to each member of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.