Outside the Florida Capitol Thursday was a sea of white roses, one for each person killed by gunfire in the state last year: 2,849.
The display was produced by the gun safety group Moms Demand Action, loud in their opposition to Floridians carrying guns without a concealed weapons license.
"Any attempt to dismantle the permitting system that we have in place will not stand in the state of Florida and our constituents in the state, citizens don’t want that either," said Wendy Moloy of Moms Demand Action. "Our lawmakers are not listening to us."
Emotions also ran high inside the Capitol, with the permitless carry bill passing another senate committee.
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"Teenagers have seen their own best friend get shot in the (expletive) head," said Seneca Bristol, a high school student from the Gulf Coast.
One of the most authoritative voices in favor is Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
"I’ve been doing this a long time," Gualtieri said. "I have never met anybody that says they are going to go and rob a store, break into a house and carjack somebody and says, wait a minute, let me go get my concealed carry permit first. It doesn’t work that way. The people who are law-abiding are going to abide by the law and they are going to follow the laws, and those who are not are not.
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Lawmakers are considering permitless carry, which supporters call "constitutional carry," allowing a person to carry a gun with neither training nor a permit.
Twenty-five states have permitless carry right now.
Some supporters feel permitless carry isn’t enough, and that Florida should move to open carry of firearms.
Gov. Ron DeSantis promised to sign a permitless carry bill. The item is set to make it to the floors of the House and Senate for a final vote.
Item ready for a vote in Senate and one more committee stop in the house. There is no time frame yet for a full vote.
