New Florida Anti Gun Bill: SB 186 is a Trojan Horse
Russ Chastain 01.07.21
Gun Owners of America (GOA) is warning Floridians about a radical new anti gun bill just introduced in the Florida state senate, designated SB 186 and masquerading as “an act relating to domestic violence.”
Rather than preventing domestic/dating violence or enabling its victims to protect themselves, SB 186 instead allows — nay, mandates — that anyone convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence must have all of his or her firearms and ammunition stolen by government authorities, and further bars that person from owning or possessing firearms and ammunition!
GOA also warns that a midnight raid to seize guns and ammo could occur without any arrest or other due process.
The GOA call to action is to contact Wilton Simpson, president of the Florida Senate and ask him to ensure SB 186 doesn’t get a committee hearing; allowing it to essentially “die on the vine.” Click here to contact Senator Simpson via email. You can edit the message before sending it; I did.
GOA Florida Director Luis Valdes has this to say in warning about anti gun bill SB 186:
Introduced by Sen. Lori Berman (D-31st District of Palm Beach County), it is a wicked piece of legislation wrapped up in a false lie of security.
Titled “Domestic Violence,” this bill does nothing of the sort to stop such heinous crime or empower the victims of domestic violence to fight back against their attackers. No, instead this bill looks to strip the rights of honest Floridians with the support of flimsy accusation by an embittered ex-partners.
Section 1 of SB 186 mandates the seizure of all firearms and ammunition from any person who is accused of domestic or dating violence. Particularly with respect to the dating violence issue, this statute goes far beyond federal law, and dramatically expands the class of embittered acquaintances who could bring charges which would result in the permanent suspension of Second Amendment rights.
The bill makes clear that a person’s guns can be ordered seized on the basis of an ex parte hearing — that is, a hearing where only the accuser gets to present evidence to the judge.
Yes, you read right, an ex parte hearing can strip someone of their Second Amendment rights without the accused getting their day in court. The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects the right of the accused to get “due process” and defend themselves in court. But SB 186 runs totally contrary to that.
This bill also makes clear that the firearms are to be seized upon the service of the court’s order. This means that the 3 a.m. knock on the door can expand to whatever raid is necessary to achieve that purpose — and to whatever force is necessary to achieve the purpose.
Finally, if the raid doesn’t result in the seizure of every gun which the angry “ex” suspects is in the person’s possession, they may file an unsubstantiated affidavit in an ex parte proceeding which precipitates a subsequent middle-of-the-night raid.
All Floridians should strongly oppose this anti gun bill, and urge Wilton Simpson to kill it before it grows.
Please do take action, folks. After all, it’s been less than two years since the Republicans in Florida’s government passed sweeping gun control including “Red flag” laws which have led to the theft of guns from thousands of Florida citizens without due process. It is our duty to oppose this new anti gun bill while urging our state congress to repeal the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.
Please click here to contact Mr. Simpson today.
