A federal appeals court has struck down Florida’s law that prohibited those under the age of 21 from carrying a concealed firearm. All I can say is that it’s about time — it’s a clearly unconstitutional law. (via NYT):
Three judges from the Fourth District Court of Appeal in Broward County unanimously ruled against the law, which was passed in 1987 and barred 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying concealed weapons.
Citing recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have dramatically reshaped the nation’s gun laws, Judge Spencer D. Levine wrote that the Florida statute “was contrary to our historical tradition and violates the Second Amendment.” He wrote that 18-year-olds are encouraged to join the military and “defend the country without restriction,” yet the law imposed “severe restrictions” on their right to self-defense.
The ruling was not unexpected. Mr. Uthmeier, a Republican who has championed gun rights, previously asked the court to strike down the law. On Wednesday, he said on social media that the decision was “another win for the unalienable rights of Floridians” to carry firearms.
Under Gov. Ron DeSantis, a two-term Republican, lawmakers and court rulings have made it easier to carry guns in Florida.
In 2023, Mr. DeSantis signed a law that eliminated the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
[…]
In the case decided on Wednesday, a man who was 18 when he was arrested in 2024 on charges of carrying a concealed weapon in Broward County challenged the law.
On another front, the Florida House continues to push to roll back the age requirement for gun purchases that was enacted in 2018. After the 2017 Parkland shooting, Florida decided to challenge the status quo on gun purchases, which allowed those at least 18 years old to buy rifles and shotguns, while handgun purchases were limited to those 21 and older. At the time, 18-20-year-olds still had ways to exercise their civil rights. Then-Gov. Rick Scott signed that provision into law in 2018, a rather ugly part of his tenure, making all gun purchases restricted to those 21 and older.
The carry provision being wrecked is a good start, though.
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