I'm the FL State Director for GOA. The lawsuit is a result of our collective efforts in FL to restore the Second Amendment.
The issues in FL are the following.
1. Floridians do not have a right to carry a firearm. FL law is written and structured in such a way that the act of carrying a firearm is a crime. And there are only specific listed exemptions. Those exemptions are only an affirmative defense. Meaning, you can be completely following the law and still be legally arrested by LEO.
2. This lawsuit also tackles the Under-21 Carry Ban. Adults in FL under 21 have no legal means to carry a firearm, period.
3. Florida, under a Republican supermajority, refuses to repeal gun control. For over a decade now, I've personally have dealt with the legislature, Republican leadership, and multiple governors. And time after time, they don't repeal gun control. They campaign on being pro-gun, but their actions are anything from it.
For years, the legislature flat out killed permitless carry legislation and open carry legislation. After a coordinated effort (between my allies and I), we got DeSantis cornered on the issues of permitless carry and open carry. That is why permitless carry passed. We recorded him at an event and he said he supported it. Mind you, he didn't think making such a statement would mean anything other than placating a voter. We released it to the media. Same with his stance on open carry.
We made permitless carry such a hot-button issue for his campaign, that he couldn't avoid it for his 2024 political campaign. That's why it passed in 2023. Well, now that the campaign is dead in the water. He has no reason to push the legislature to pass something pro-gun.
Hence the lawsuit. Because in 2023, we got Rep. Mike Beltran to introduce an open carry amendment to the permitless concealed-only carry bill and the Republican leadership killed it. In 2024, we got Rep. Beltran to introduce an open carry bill to the FL House. And again, the Republican leadership killed it.
Since the legislature refuses to listen to their constituents and uphold their campaign promises and the governor appears to be weak-kneed. We're done playing nice with the political establishment.
If you want a general idea of the lawsuit. Here's my declaration to the court. In our
court complaint (complete PDF), it is listed as exhibit A.