DeSantis Democrat Opponents for Governor Vow Opposition to Constitutional Carry if Elected
May 25, 2022 Updated 1:22 P.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Two of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Democratic opponents in the race for governor said on Twitter Wednesday they would not support constitutional carry if elected.
Constitutional carry would allow Floridians who follow the gun laws to conceal a handgun without obtaining a concealed weapons permit.
DeSantis previously promised to legalize constitutional carry in Florida before he is finished serving as Governor.
“So why would you want to subcontract out your constitutional rights to a public official that rejects the very existence of those rights,” DeSantis said in April.
DeSantis faces Democrat U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried for the state’s top seat.
“DeSantis says he’ll sign ‘constitutional carry’ into law,” Crist said on Twitter. “Why in the hell would we even think about allowing permitless concealed carry in Florida?”
Their comments come a day after 19 elementary school children and two teachers were killed in a shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
There are 24 other states with constitutional carry or permitless carry laws on the books.
Some Florida Republican lawmakers have attempted without success to pass constitutional carry legislation.
State Rep. Spencer Roach, R-Lee County, has said there are constitutional carry laws that still allow the state to take away weapons from criminals.
“Just because you have a constitutional carry law in place, it doesn’t it doesn’t mean that the other laws that are on the books that seek to take away weapons from criminals are not going to be enforced,” Roach said.
