Florida lawmaker reviving bill to allow guns in courthouses
Republican Florida Sen. Greg Steube has revived a proposal to allow guns in courthouses. (Photo: Greg Steube via Facebook)
A Florida lawmaker has revived a bill that would allow concealed-carry permit holders to carry guns into Florida courthouses and store the firearms with court security.
Republican Sen. Greg Steube filed the bill, SB 134, on Thursday for the 2018 legislative session, the Miami Herald reported. The bill is expected to have a good chance at passing this time around.
The proposal passed in the Florida Senate and was nearly approved in the House of Representatives the last week of the 2017 session, as House Republicans rushed the bill to the floor without first considering a companion bill.
However, Republican leadership ended up killing the bill the bill in exchange for Democratic support of a measure to create a water storage reservoir in the Everglades, a proposal championed by Republican Senate President Joe Negron.
Steube, a staunch supporter of gun rights, has argued allowing law-abiding gun owners to carry to and from courthouses would help people defend themselves, especially attorneys who sometimes receive threats. The proposal was one of Steube’s less polarizing gun bills in the 2017 session and did not receive much opposition.
It remains unclear if a companion bill will be filed in the House. While the 2018 session starts in January, committee meetings begin in September.
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