Florida Can Fix a Bad Gun Law — If Lawmakers Finally Grow a Backbone

Key Takeaways:

• Florida bill would lower long-gun purchase age from 21 to 18.

• Supporters argue adults deserve full Second Amendment rights at age 18.

• Senate inaction threatens the bill’s passage for the fourth straight year.

The media loves a misleading headline, but this one practically begs for panic clicks. “Bill allowing teens to buy guns” makes it sound like Florida wants to arm middle-schoolers when, in reality, this is about restoring rights to legal adults — 18, 19, and 20-year-olds who can vote, marry, sign contracts, pay taxes, and even enlist to die for their country. But apparently they’re too immature to own a hunting rifle?

Florida’s post-Parkland overreaction stripped rights from millions of young adults who did nothing wrong, and the legislature keeps dragging its feet about fixing it. Loud campus activists scream about “high-powered weapons,” but conveniently ignore the fact that permitless carry only applies to those 21 and up — meaning this bill changes nothing about campus carry risks they claim to fear.

If Florida calls itself pro-gun, it’s time for the Senate to prove it.

From Bearing Arms:

One of the more vile moves Florida made after Parkland was to ban long gun sales to adults under 21. It’s bad enough to prohibit handguns for those lawful adults, but all long guns too? That means the Second Amendment doesn’t actually apply to them, which is heinous.

And over the last few years, there have been efforts to fix that.

Sure enough, there is one again this year, as the Florida House is set to vote on the measure.

Needless to say, the media is ready to frame this as horrifically as they can. I mean, this headline that reads, “Bill that would allow teens to buy guns moves to full House for vote,” sure wouldn’t give anyone the wrong impression. The subheading does clarify that it’s legal adults under 21, but an awful lot of people just read the headlines, and they know that.

Now, for the actual topic itself…

A measure (HB 133) that would lower the age to purchase a long gun in Florida from 21 to 18 years old passed its second and final committee in the state House on Tuesday and will hit the floor when the 2026 session opens, where for the fourth year in a row it is expected to pass in the GOP-controlled chamber.

However, a companion bill in the Senate has yet to have been filed, putting the measure in jeopardy of failure. A similar situation has played out during the past three legislative sessions, with the measure passing the House and dying in the Senate.

The proposal is sponsored by Rep. Tyler Sirois, R-Brevard County.

…

“Allowing teenagers to buy high-powered weapons and carry them without a permit in a state without permitless carry is not freedom,” said Jacob Lombardo, a senior at the University of Central Florida. “It is a threat to every student and every family in this great state.”

Of course, Lombardo either doesn’t understand what he’s talking about or he doesn’t think you’ll understand what he’s talking about.

First, most people carrying guns aren’t carrying long guns. Anyone who does so is going to be obvious, and since Florida doesn’t have campus carry, I fail to see how students are at any particular risk they don’t face now.

Second, permitless carry in Florida only applies to those over 21. You know, the same people who can buy long guns under this measure? Yeah, them.

And yes, allowing legal adults to exercise their rights is, in fact, freedom. Freedom doesn’t inherently mean comfort, which is what Lombardo clearly wants.

Regardless, as noted above, this is a tough fight, and there’s a real chance this one won’t go anywhere, either, much like the previous years’ efforts. That’s a shame, because what happened after Parkland was a major infringement on gun rights in a state that prides itself on being pro-gun.

The only way to change that is to start blowing up the phones and email accounts of state senators in Florida with constituents demanding this law be passed. I don’t care where they stand on the issue in general; you need to make sure they have absolutely no doubt where you stand. The only doubts they should have are whether they’ll hold their seat if this measure doesn’t get their vote.

Florida has a chance to set things right. These lawmakers just need the encouragement to make it happen.

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