URGENT NEW ALERT !! ACT NOW *** HB-1417 Protect Possession/Guns/Cars

DATE: March 26, 2007
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
NRA Past President
Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida

YOU MUST TAKE ACTION NOW. A COUPLE OF REPUBLICANS ARE WAVERING UNDER PRESSURE FROM A FEW CORPORATE GIANTS AND MAY VOTE AGAINST PROTECTING THE PEOPLE WHO ELECTED THEM.

SUBJECT: HB-1417 To Protect Possession of Firearms in Vehicles in Parking Lots

Some Florida businesses are searching vehicles and trying to ban guns in cars in parking lots. They are violating the constitutional rights of gun owners and Florida law.

HB-1417 protects you from having your private vehicle searched and from punitive action against you by antigun business owners who would deny you your right to have a gun in your car for protection. HB-1417 establishes penalties for these ARROGANT CORPORATIONS who think they can control what private property you have in your private vehicle.

The House Environment & Natural Resources Council will hold a hearing on HB-1417 by Rep. Bailey at 8:00am, Wednesday, March 28, 2007.

Please immediately send email to members of the House Environment & Natural Resources Council and URGE THEM TO SUPPORT HB-1417 by Rep. Baxley

Below is a list of the email addresses of those you need to contact

(To send one email to all committee members at the same time, block or highlight the entire list and then copy and paste the block into the address section of the email.)

IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL PUT:

PLEASE SUPPORT HB-1417/Protect Firearms/private vehicles

House Environment & Natural Resources Council

Stan.Mayfield@myfloridahouse.gov
Baxter.Troutman@myfloridahouse.gov
Bob.Allen@myfloridahouse.gov
Debbie.Boyd@myfloridahouse.gov
Mary.Brandenburg@myfloridahouse.gov
Faye.Culp@myfloridahouse.gov
Rich.Glorioso@myfloridahouse.gov
Denise.Grimsley@myfloridahouse.gov
Will.Kendrick@myfloridahouse.gov
Paige.Kreegel@myfloridahouse.gov
Rick.Kriseman@myfloridahouse.gov
Richard.Machek@myfloridahouse.gov
Bryan.Nelson@myfloridahouse.gov
Scott.Randolph@myfloridahouse.gov
Trudi.Williams@myfloridahouse.gov
Marty.Bowen@myfloridahouse.gov

YOU MAY ALSO WISH TO CALL THEM:

Rep. Stan Mayfield (R), Chair (850) 488-0952
Rep. Baxter Troutman (R) VC (850) 488-9465
Rep. Bob Allen (R) (850) 488-4669
Rep. Debbie Boyd (D) (850) 488-9835
Rep. Mary Brandenburg (D) (850) 488-0260 Rep. Faye Culp (R) (850) 488-2770
Rep. Richard Glorioso (R) (850) 488-0807
Rep. Denise Grimsley(R) (850) 488-3457
Rep. Will Kendrick (R) (850) 488-7870
Rep. Paige Kreegel (R) (850) 488-9175
Rep. Rick Kriseman (D) (850) 488-9337
Rep. Bryan Nelson (R) (850) 488-2023
Rep. Richard Machek (D) (850) 488-5588
Rep. Scott Randolph (D) (850) 488-0660
Rep. Trudi Williams (R) (850) 488-2047
Rep. Marty Bowen (R) Majority Leader (850) 488-2721

BACKGROUND:

The bill will stop business entities from violating the constitutional rights of customers and employees.

Your Second Amendment rights are at the very heart of this issue. In addition to prohibiting searches of private vehicles in parking lots. The bills also prevent businesses from asking customers or employees to disclose what personal private property is stored in a private vehicle and prevents action against customers and employees who refuse to divulge that private information. Further, it prohibits action against a customer or employee based on information provided by a third party.

Some Florida businesses are trying to ban guns in cars in parking lot used by customers and employees. They are discriminating against people who exercise their constitutional rights – they are violating the constitutional rights of gun owners and Florida law.

Corporate giants have been trampling constitutional rights. Some are even attempting to coerce and intimidate gunowners into giving up constitutional rights as a condition of employment.

Your Rights are in Danger

(1) Your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms -- to have firearms in your vehicle for self-defense and other lawful purposes must be protected from antigun businesses;

(2) Your privacy rights – against searches of your private vehicle in parking lots must be protected from antigun businesses;

(3) Your right to freedom from coercion, intimidation and termination of employment by for exercising constitutional rights by antigun employers must be preserved. HB-1417 Stops Protects your have a firearm in your vehicle for lawful purposes and to park your vehicle in parking lots.

Carrying firearms in a vehicle for hunting, target shooting or protection of yourself and your family obviously means you can leave that firearm locked in the vehicle in a parking lot when you go grocery shopping, to the doctor's office, to the movie, to visit a sick friend in the hospital, to rent a movie, to the shoe store or anywhere else normal people travel to conduct business.

Florida law, the U.S. Constitution, and the Florida Constitution clearly and unequivocally give law abiding citizens to have firearms in their vehicles for lawful purposes.

Since there are CURRENTLY NO PENALTIES for violating to law, numerous businesses are violating the law and are banning firearms in their parking lots. Their gun ban policies apply to customers and employees.

How can anyone justify telling a woman who is being stalked that she can't have a firearm for protection? In many cases police tell these women to get a gun for protection because police can't be there to protect her -- and calling 911 is nothing more than government sponsored dial-a-prayer.

A business owner or manager has no more right to say you can't have a firearm in your private vehicle than they have a right to say you can't have a pair of sun glasses, an umbrella, a Bible or a baby seat.

Such an anti-gun political exercise is not good business sense. They want your money but don't respect your rights.

Businesses are not allowed to discriminate against employees and customers because of race, religion, political party, color of eyes, hair or weight. And they certainly can't discriminate because of the exercise of lawful self-defense. And, make no mistake, these gun ban policies are blatant discrimination against people who chose to exercise a constitutional right and take responsibility for their own safety.