Florida lawmakers see victory, danger after appellate court’s open carry ruling

A court ruling tossing any Florida restrictions on open carry of firearms has sparked a divided reaction among political leaders.

State Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith , an Orlando Democrat who called for gun restrictions after the Pulse shooting, said the ruling was dangerous.

“This dangerous decision is a double whammy against public safety. Open carry in a state that already has permitless carry means that we would have unrestricted carry where people can visibly pack loaded guns almost anywhere in public without a permit or any of its required training or criminal background checks,” he said.

“That doesn’t make us more safe. And the court is dead wrong. Article 1, sec. 8(a) of the Florida Constitution says ‘the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.’ That law has kept Flo