Florida House Panel Supports Lowering Age for Rifle Purchases

Florida’s House Criminal Justice Subcommittee voted 12-5 Monday along party lines to approve HB 1543, a repeal of the post-Parkland gun control that raised minimum legal purchase for long guns to 21 years of age.

HB 1543 would put the minimum age back at 18, which is where it was prior to the February 14, 2018, Parkland attack.

ClickOrlando.com noted that Florida House Speaker Paul Renner (R) commented in favor of removing the age controls, noting that even in a post-Parkland world 18-20 years can legally own a long gun if they receive it as a gift.

Renner said:, “The Florida House is restoring the ability of young adults to exercise their Second Amendment rights. Florida allows 18- to 20-year-old adults to obtain a long gun by having it gifted to them. This bill expands Second Amendment rights and improves public safety, because it requires young adults who have the intent of purchasing a long gun to go through the background check process that is consistent with Florida law.”

WUFT/NPR reported that State Rep. Bobby Payne (R) sponsored the bill to repeal the 21-year-old minimum age requirement.

Payne said, “Florida is among only a handful of states, like Hawaii and New York, who limit long gun sales to those 21 and up.”

Alachua County Education Association president Carmen Ward opposes the push to lower the legal purchase age for long guns.

Ward said, “I stand with the Parkland students and Moms Demand Action in that we think we need more restrictive gun laws, not less restrictive.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.