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Florida
Archives and Backgrounders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Gun-Intended Consequences for Voters: "Revision 12" Amendment Would Reduce Gun Penalties Although a proposed Constitutional amendment (originally called CRC-167) is being marketed as a way to stop illegal gun sales, it would actually have the effect of reducing penalties for the gun crimes it seeks to control. According to Alan Korwin, co-author of The Florida Gun Owner's Guide, "Dealing in firearms without a federal license is one of the most serious gun crimes on the books. If people are saying that the law isn't being enforced, then you need to look at police work, not pass another law." The proposed amendment dilutes the state's ability to control gun sales, and would merely allow counties to duplicate existing work, according to Korwin. If a county enacts its own waiting period and background checkùin addition to the state wait and checkùthe effort and expenses are doubled, but no increase in crime fighting results, and punishment would actually go down. Since counties can only impose misdemeanor penalties, a gun runner would not be automatically subject to the much tougher state felony penalties. When stopped by a law enforcement official, which charge should the officer applyùthe felony or the misdemeanor? Such selective laws have in the past been ruled unconstitutional. The main reason for the proposed amendment, Korwin says, is to gradually attack rights people already have, under the guise of crime control. If you really want to stop illegal gun dealing, do it at the state or federal level, and make arrests under existing law, he says. Korwin's 300-page Florida book includes the state gun laws word for word, describes them all in plain English, and is available at book and gun stores statewide. He has written eight other books, including a highly acclaimed unabridged guide to federal gun law, Gun Laws of America. Bloomfield Press, the Phoenix-based publisher, keeps gun-law information on its website, www.bloomfieldpress.com. ### P.S. Bloomfield Press is the largest publisher of gun law books in the
country, founded in 1989. The Florida Gun Owner Guide for police department
and news media review is free on request, call 1-800-707-4020. Both authors
are available for interview, call us to schedule.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE STATE GUN LAW VOTE DUE Florida's "Revision 12" Watched by Nation Congressional seats aren't the only thing up for grabs this election season. Gun rights are on the block in Florida, with a proposed Constitutional amendment. Should Florida control its gun sales, or should every political subdivision in the state do it separately. Voters decide next month. If enacted, Revision 12 will modify the "preemption" law, the rule that says power to regulate firearms remains with the state. Gun-rights supporters say it's a no-brainer. If you want laws that honest people can follow, you need a uniform set statewide. They say leave the Constitution alone, defeat Rev. 12. "People who seek to change the Constitution know it will increase their chances of passing restrictive gun laws," says Alan Korwin, co-author of The Florida Gun Owner's Guide. "If each county enacts its own laws, some will be worse than others, and the erosion of rights inches onwards." Rev. 12 is about regulating the innocent, not for controlling criminals, who are strictly controlled under existing law, he says. Korwin's 300-page book describes the Florida gun laws in plain English, and is widely available. Serious tax implications are not immediately evident. But when national insta-checks start at year's end, the FBI wants to tax every licensed firearms dealer whose state doesn't conduct the check. Dealers in a county doing its own records checks are likely to incur this tax. The FBI has no apparent authority to levy the tax, but has announced they are proceeding. Two bills were proposed in Congress in an effort to stop the FBI's plans. For more info go to our website and click Media Services for the proposed Florida gun tax, or click Position Papers for changes that occur when the Brady law expires on November 30. Didn't know Brady was expiring? Take a look! P.S. Bloomfield Press is the largest publisher of gun law books in the
country, founded in 1989 with just one bookùthe Arizona edition,
now in its 19th printing. The Florida Gun Owner Guide for police department
and news media review is free on request, call 1-800-707-4020. Both authors
are available for interview, call us to schedule. As we are always saying, "It doesn't make sense to own a gun and not know the rules." ###
FLORIDA ESCAPES NEW FEDERAL GUN TAX Only 20 States Exempted
$13–$16 Applies to Under the general banner of crime reduction, and citing the Brady law for its authority, the FBI plans to tax the retail sale of handguns and long guns, starting Nov. 30, if their new computer systems are ready in time. The proposed tax could generate $1 million per week nationally, based on the bureau's estimates. Detailed information is included in a report just issued by Phoenix-based Bloomfield Press, a book publisher specializing in gun law [Ed.: Summary of Findings on request and website]. Perhaps more significant than a surprising new tax from the Justice Department—without any apparent Congressional approval—is the FBI's announced plans to record complete identifying information on every person who purchases a firearm from a licensed dealer. Any regulation that requires such recording has been prohibited under the McClure-Volkmer Act since 1986. Neither the tax nor the gun-buyer registration scheme appear to be legal, according to Alan Korwin, co-author of The Florida Gun Owner's Guide. Korwin has written seven books on gun law. His Florida guide, released in February, has all the state's gun laws and is his latest. The federal registration and tax plan are being rolled out under the guise of the National Instant Check System, required when Part 1 of the Brady law expires this year. Under Brady Part 2, all retail handgun and long gun sales will have to run through the system, which the FBI has based at its Clarksburg, W. Va., data center. They are hiring 500 people to handle the anticipated load. The FBI intends to waive the tax for any state that sets up an FBI-approved central firearms clearance center. Florida's background check system has been approved, placing its state police under a degree of FBI control. In other states, each dealer will have to "enroll" with the FBI to legally make a sale, and pay the tax on every purchase. The Bureau will accept credit cards or will arrange to bill dealers, and those who don't pay (or are real late on the invoice) will be literally out of business. Several authorities have indicated that they expect enough clamor from the taxed dealers to compel their states to comply. When 100 Arizona dealers were told at a government meeting in June, that they would not be taxed, they cheered, apparently oblivious to the implications of federalizing their local police.
For the first time, a complete set of Florida gun laws, including the concealed carry laws, is being released for public use. The Florida Gun Owner's Guide is a legal landmark–residents can now hold all the gun laws in one hand. Written by noted firearms legal experts Donna Lea Hawley and Alan Korwin, The Florida Gun Owner's Guide contains word-for-word text of the gun laws, accompanied by easy-to-understand descriptions. The new gun laws for 1998 are included in the upcoming first edition. “For too long, Floridians have relied on rumor and hearsay–instead of solid information–when exercising the right to bear arms," Korwin commented in a recent interview. "We expect this book to find its way onto the desks of pro-rights and anti-rights advocates alike." Co-author Hawley agreed, adding, "The Florida Gun Owner's Guide provides a new framework for the entire firearms debate–plain English." In addition to demystifying state gun laws, the book also provides clear descriptions of the federal laws for gun ownership and use. The authors cover the subjects of self-defense and the use of deadly force, and have included lethal-encounter scenarios, material on child and adult safety, 150 self-test questions, rules for hunters, a thorough prohibited-places list, info on special weapons and ammunition, and more. Basically, if it involves firearms in Florida it was included in this new book The Florida Gun Owner's Guide comes out in July and will be
available in book and gun stores statewide at $14.95. It is the fifth in a series of state
gun guides that includes Arizona, California, Texas and Virginia. For info or to fire up a
copy, ### P.S. Copies for police department and news media review
are free on request, call 1-800-707-4020.
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on gun laws and other topics.
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