Florida has become an oasis of freedom under Ron DeSantis.
But not everyone in the GOP is happy with the direction of the Sunshine State.
And Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody refused to defend one awful law that had RINOs fuming.
Gun rights activists fight to overturn Florida gun control law
Visitors to Florida are greeted with signs that say “Welcome to the Free State of Florida” on major roadways leading in and out of the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has protected and expanded freedom in the state with his bold conservative agenda.
But one roadblock that his freedom agenda has run into is with gun rights.
The RINOs running the Florida State Legislature rammed through a slew of gun control laws after the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Florida is the only Republican-controlled state in the country where open carry is illegal under any circumstance.
It joins the Democrat bastions of New York, Illinois, California, and Washington, D.C. in having a complete ban on open carry.
Gun Owners of America Florida state director Luis Valdes tried to get the State legislature to overturn the open carry ban when the state passed Constitutional Carry last year, but RINO Senate President Kathleen Passidomo (R-FL) blocked it from going anywhere.
“Florida is the only conservative state in the country to ban open carry and so-called pro-gun officials have failed to repeal this gun control,” Valdes said.
DeSantis is supportive of open carry but the RINOs in the State Legislature won’t budge.
So, Gun Owners of America and a Palm Beach County gun owner filed a lawsuit challenging the 1893 law that bans open carry.
“Despite its reputation as a largely gun-friendly state, Florida inexplicably continues to prohibit the peaceable carrying of firearms in an open and unconcealed manner,” the lawsuit states. “This blatant infringement of the Second Amendment right to ‘bear arms’ runs counter to this nation’s historical tradition and would have criminalized the very colonists who openly carried their muskets and mustered on the greens at Lexington and Concord to fight for their independence.”
Florida declines to defend lawsuit against open carry ban
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody refused to defend a state prosecutor and sheriff who were named in the lawsuit by Gun Owners of America against open carry.
Typically, she defends the state’s laws whether she agrees with them or not.
Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Politico that Moody’s decision came as a surprise.
“I was surprised when I heard the attorney general would not defend the state but I won’t speculate as to reasons,” Aronberg said.
The Florida Supreme Court upheld a ban on open carry seven years ago, but DeSantis has appointed more conservative justices since that ruling.
Moody’s decision not to defend the open carry law could be a sign of her future ambitions.
DeSantis is term-limited as Governor after winning re-election in the 2022 Midterm Elections.
The Republican Primary for Governor in the 2026 Midterm Elections is expected to draw a large field of challengers.
Ashley Moody is one of the rumored contenders and refusing to defend the open carry ban could be a tell that she is going to throw her hat in the ring.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
