Marion P. Hammer
USF Executive Director
NRA Past President
Florida – -(Ammoland.com)- SB-7026, was called the “gun control bill” by the media because they recognized that this bill more about gun control than school safety. It was supposed to be a school safety bill but it quickly turned into a vehicle for three (3) gun control offensives.
We supported the school safety measures in the bill: 1.) Hardening the schools, 2.) Armed security in our schools, and 3.) Keeping guns out of the hands of the dangerous mentally ill.
We did NOT support the gratuitous gun control provisions added to the bill by REPUBLICANS.
Those gun control measures are: 1.) A ban on the purchase of rifles and shotguns by adults under age 21, 2.) A 3-day waiting period on rifles and shotguns, 3.) A ban on the sale, transfer & possession of bump stocks & accessories that increase the rate of fire of a semiautomatic firearm.
Republican legislators are responsible for passage of the “gun control bill.” They lacked the courage to uphold their oath of office and keep their word to constituents who voted for them. They were in total control. They no longer deserve your trust.
SEN. DOUG BROXSON (R) Pensacola: North Florida Sen. Doug Broxson was the linchpin. When he pulled his support for the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding gun owners he became responsible for passage of the “gun control bill.”
If Doug Broxson had kept his word, the bill would have been killed in the Senate and Senate leadership would have had to start over and bring back a true school safety bill without the gun control provisions. But at the last minute, Broxson caved to threats and promises from Senate leadership and switched his vote and sold you out.
Doug Broxson was one of seven Republican Senators who were committed to vote against SB-7026, as long as it had any gun control provisions in it. But when Broxson broke his word and switched his vote, instead of the bill dying on a 19-19 tie, it passed 20-18.
Broxson’s selfish betrayal cost law-abiding gun owners an essential part of Freedom, Liberty and Second Amendment rights.
Below are the other Republicans who DID NOT stay true to their values, their oath of office, their word and didn’t fight to support, defend and protect the Second Amendment. Those who previously had either an “A” or “A+” grade, DO NOT and WILL NOT have an “A+” or “A” now or in the foreseeable future.
When they ask for your support, when they ask you to volunteer in their campaigns, when they ask for your donations, when they ask for your votes, think long and hard about what they had done…..
REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED TO PASS GUN CONTROL: SB-7026
When they ask for your support, when they ask you to volunteer in their campaigns, when they ask for your donations, when they ask for your votes, think long and hard about what they had done…..
NEW GRADES WILL BE DETERMINED – IN PART – BY HOW THEY RESPOND TO THE 2018 CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE
REPUBLICAN SENATORS Previous Grade
Aaron Bean (R-Jacksonville) A+
Lizbeth Benacquisto (R-Ft. Myers) A+
Rob Bradley (R-Orange Park) A+
Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) A+
Joe Negron (R-Palm City) A+
Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby) A+
Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland) A+
Doug Broxson (R-Pensacola) A
Anitere Flores (R-Miami) A
Bill Galvano (R-Bradenton) A
Travis Hutson (R-Palm Coast) A
Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne) A
Kathleen Passidomo (R-Naples) A
David Simmons (R-Longwood) A
Dana Young (R-Tampa) A
Rene Garcia (R-Hialeah) C
Keith Perry (R-Gainesville) B+
The 17 Republicans listed above, along with 3 Democrats, made up the 20 votes that passed the bill. Don’t forget these names.
Legislators with a ? after their names instead of a grade refused to answer the NRA/USF Questionnaire. They didn’t break their word, they just refused to tell us they don’t support the Second Amendment.
REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVES
Ben Albritton (R-Bartow) A+
Jason Brodeur (R-Sanford) A+
Travis Cummings (R-Orange Pk) A+
Dane Eagle (R-Cape Coral) A+
Heather Fitzenhagen (R-Ft Myers) A+
Holly Raschein (R-key Largo) A+
Larry Ahern (R-Seminole) A
Thad Altman (R-Indialantic) A
Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah) A
Halsey Beshears (R-Monticello) A
Michael Bileca (R-Miami) A
Jim Boyd (R-Bradenton) A
Danny Burgess (R-Zephyrhills) A
Colleen Burton (R-Lakeland) A
Chuck Clemons (R-Jonesville) A
Richard Corcoran (R-Lutz) A
Bob Cortes (R-Altamonte Spgs) A
Manny Diaz Jr (R-Hialeah Grdns) A
Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) A
Tom Goodson (R-Merritt Island) A
Michael Grant (R-Port Charlotte) A
Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota) A
Bill Hager (R-Boca Raton) A
Gayle Harrell (R-Stuart) A
Shawn Harrison (R-Tampa) A
Sam Killebrew (R-Winter Haven) A
Mike LaRosa (R-St. Cloud) A
MaryLynn Magar (R-Hobe Snd) A
Ralph Massullo(R-Beverly Hills) A
Lawrence McClure (R-Plant City) A
Larry Metz (R-Groveland) A
George Moraitis (R-Ft. Laud) A
Jeanette Nunez (R-Miami) A
Jose Oliva (R-Hialeah) A
Bobby Olszewski (R-Orlando) A
Bobby Payne (R-Palatka) A
Danny Perez (R-Miami) A
Kathleen Peters (R-St. Pete) A
Cary Pigman (R-Sebring) A
Scott Plakon (R-Longwood) A
Rene Plasencia (R-Titusville) A
Elizabeth Porter (R-Lake City) A
Jake Raburn (R-Valrico) A
Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) A
Ray Rodrigues (R-Ft. Myers) A
Bob Rommel (R-Naples) A
Rick Roth (R-Palm Bch Grdns) A
David Santiago (R-Deltona) A
Chris Sprowls (R-Clearwater) A
Cyndi Stevenson (R-St.Aug) A
Jennifer Sullivan (R-Eustis) A
Jackie Toledo (R-Tampa) A
Jay Trumbull (R-Panama City) A
Chris Latvala (R-Clearwater) D
Carlos Trujillo (R-Doral) D
*Tom Leek (R-Daytona Beach) ?
*Amber Mariano (R-Port Richey) ?
Major reductions in grades are warranted by a breach of trust. The “A” and “A+” Grades are long gone. Some of these Republicans may never see an “A” again.
This anti freedom bill is a Complete waste of time. #1 Our country is OUR country because our ancestors fought and died with the weapons at hand to defeat our enemies. The history of the Second Amendment concept goes back to 680 ad and has been used in multiple countries to defend their countries from their enemies. That same concept goes to our self defense and offense of our families. Criminals do not follow laws and therefore have at their disposal any weapon they choose and so should we. This is also the reason that police departments improved the types… Read more »
Not sure how banning assault weapons = an assault on 2nd amendment rights when these types of weapons were not ever envisioned by our founding fathers. The right to bear arms – to interpret this broadly and expansively, does that include not only assault weapons, but other even more lethal arms? Atomic weapons? Shouldnt there be a reasonableness test? And how exactly does a stronger emphasis on mental illness keep these shootings from happening? Any evidence based facts on if that works to prevent shootings? Seems to me, and Im a Republican, that assault weapons are made and meant for… Read more »
Congressman Jamie Grant – 64 wrote to his constituents on his vote against 7026, “….. The bill before us on school safety, not only had impacts on the 2nd Amendment, but also on the 1st, 4th, 5th and 14th Amendments. as much as I wanted to support so much of the bill, I could not vote for it because I believe wholeheartedly that provisions in the bill will fail to survive Constitutional scrutiny.” As well-intentioned as this bill is, it contains provisions that have already been challenged and others that are almost certain to be challenged. Should the Court strike… Read more »
Mr. Broxson is my state rep. I will not be voting for him at the next election. He lost my confidence and trust.
I precinct walked for Senator Jeff Brandes and Representative Larry Ahern, and this is the thanks I get? They both have done good things in the past, but they blew it with this caving in to the anti gun forces.
This is what Antonin Scalia – the patron saint of the Second Amendment – said in his remarks concerning the Heller decision in 2008: In the Heller decision, the court’s majority opinion said that the Second Amendment protects “the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.” However, in delivering the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been… Read more »
Was my original comment not approved and posted?
This is what Antonin Scalia – the patron saint of the Second Amendment – said: In the Heller decision, the court’s majority opinion said that the Second Amendment protects “the right of law-abiding, responsible citizens to use arms in defense of hearth and home.” However, in delivering the majority opinion, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote: “Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose: For example, concealed weapons prohibitions have been upheld under the Amendment or state analogues. The Court’s… Read more »
Anitere Flores still had an “A” rating after the bullshit she pulled killing Open Carry and Campus Carry in 2017.
So a Republican Senator flat out stating that she’s against expanding Floridians gun rights was able to keep an “A” rating.
Thanks Mairon.
I’ve had enough! I have changed my voter registration to Libertarian. All talk and sell us out when it matters most, Republicans ARE the problem now!