Governor Gets Bill Closing Florida Gun Loophole

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A bill to close a loophole in a new law and again make it illegal to openly carry guns passed the Legislature on Thursday and was sent to the governor for his signature.

The Senate approved the measure on a 35-0 vote, one day after it passed the House unanimously.

Gov. Bob Martinez supports the idea but probably will not sign the measure until today or Monday to give his lawyers time to look over the language, Susan Traylor, his press secretary, said. The bill will become law after being signed.

The action was prompted by a concealed weapons law that went into effect on Oct. 1. State Atty. Gen. Bob Butterworth said that while the law created a statewide permit system for carrying concealed weapons, it also preempted an 1893 law prohibiting the open display of weapons.

Without such a prohibition, prosecutors said, it was conceivable that someone could walk into a shopping mall carrying a gun and there was nothing authorities could do to stop it. Bikers could ride through the streets with shotguns in their arms menacing innocent citizens, Butterworth said.

Supporters of the concealed-weapons law said that they did not believe there was any problem with the new law and that people could be prosecuted under other sections of the law for carrying guns in public. But they agreed to the bill to make sure the law was clarified permanently.

Lawmakers feared that the idea of people toting loaded pistols in the streets of Florida would scare away visitors and hurt tourism.