Wilton Simpson Proposes Fines on Credit Card Companies Tracking Florida Gun Purchases

TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Newly elected Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson is proposing a new plan, “The Florida Arms and Ammo Act,” that will fine credit card companies if they track gun purchases in Florida.

Simpson told Florida’s Voice this is a “backdoor way of trying to intimidate gun owners.”

Florida’s Voice previously reported credit card companies such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express have decided to apply a new sales code to distinguish firearm purchases at U.S. gun stores, which would allow them to track gun and ammunition sales.

These transactions at firearm stores were formerly labeled as “general merchandise.”

In the Free State of Florida, we’re not going to let liberal elitists dictate our policies here, as it relates our constitutional rights second amendment rights.

We have the right to buy guns or ammunition without their input and this is the first time in our history that credit card companies are being told by these liberal groups that they need to come up with this new code.

Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson

Simpson says the legislation would prohibit the use of the code, and if they use it they will be fined up to $10,000 for each incident in the state of Florida.

He said he is working with Republican Sen. Danny Burgess and Republican Rep. John Snyder to sponsor the bill in the legislature.

“In the last couple of months, the curtain has been revealed and it’s been full display for the American people to see that corporations are not afraid to collude with the federal government, specifically the Biden administration, and do whatever it takes to whittle away at our constitutional rights,” said Snyder.

FOX Business reports gun control advocates claim that the merchant code could curb gun violence.

In September, U.S. House members wrote a letter to the credit card companies opposing the move, saying, “A gun control advocate could view any desire to own or obtain a firearm as per se suspicious.”

“Instead, this is a transparent attempt to chill the exercise of constitutionally protected rights and to circumvent existing legal restrictions on the creation of firearm registries by the government.”