TALLAHASSEE, Fla.-- When Charlie Strickland isn’t helping sell firearms in his gun shop, he's training others to use them at the range. “We’ve been in business 10 years. We’ve trained between 25 and 30,000 people.”
Florida House bill, 809, could boost those numbers. If passed, you’d need safety training each time you renew a conceal carry permit. And you’d need to do it every five years instead of seven.
“I should be jumping up and down for joy, thinking we’re going to make a lot of money on this. We don’t think that," Strickland said. He's a Second Amendment advocate, and feels the bill further erodes the right to bear arms.
Though he appreciates regular training, Strickland said it should be a person’s choice. “I don’t believe in this legislation anymore that you should have an IQ test to vote. A constitutional right is a constitutional right.”
To creators, the proposal is an all-around big win for gun safety. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is among them, and also is touting its other provision: Florida could keep gun licensing fingerprints better stopping those with felonies outside the state from renewing carry permits.
“Unfortunately, you’re going to have those individuals who don’t understand that what we’re doing is common-sense regulation to protect our citizens," Fried said.
While Fried is hoping for bipartisan support once the bill’s assigned to committee, Strickland says he’ll be sticking to his constitutional convictions, despite missing out on what could be a moneymaker.
Law enforcement groups have yet to weigh in on the legislation. The Florida Sheriff’s Association said it’s still reviewing the bill before taking a position.