As a strong and steadfast firearm and Second Amendment supporter, it's good to know our Governor Ron DeSantis has our back, while Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun law firm, Everytown Law, is trying to convince elected officials around the country to shut down gun stores using the current national emergency as leverage to do so, EL has sent a letter to state and local officials in charge of enforcing COVID-19 emergency closure orders offering up a strategy and legal argument for those who do so. Fortunately for gun owners, and unfortunately for the gun control lobby, their argument doesn’t stand up to the slightest bit of legal scrutiny, and has been wiped off the by Trumps DHS/CISA. Florida Governor Issues Statewide Order – Firearm Industry Deemed “Essential” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statewide order to enhance social distancing as part of his ongoing effort to combat the spread of COVID-19. Executive Order No. 20-91, which will last 30 days beginning on Friday, April 3, at 12:01 a.m., requires the closure of businesses and services that are not considered “essential.” Gov. DeSantis’ order contains an explicit reference to all services detailed in the Department of Homeland Security’s CISA guidance on essential workers. The updated guidance (as of March 2 includes “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.” This critically important language was incorporated in the recently updated CISA guidance at the request of NSSF®. Please Note: NSSF is currently seeking clarification on firearm industry businesses located in localities that have deemed them “non-essential” and ordered them to close. If you’re a manufacturer, retailer, distributor, or importer state law preempts local government from regulating your business. However, if you are a manufacturer, retailer, distributor, importer or shooting range and have been ordered to close, please send an email to tsantos@nssf.org with the name of your business, where you are located, and contact information. In addition to this order, the Governor listed hunting and fishing as “essential activities” that Floridians may continue to engage in while the order is in effect. This is very important as many low income residents of Florida who fish for their families daily dinner, plus if they use inexpensive cane poles, which most do, they are exempt from having to buy a fishing license. NSSF urges all members to closely follow CDC guidelines, practice social distancing and take precautions to protect the health and safety of their employees and customers.
The governors closing the gun stores are using this crisis to act on their agenda - even if only temporarily so.
Now that the matter has been federalized by Donald Trump, with the department of homeland security holding that federally licensed firearm dealers qualify as essential businesses that must remain open, what choice do state governors have but to comply?
They can close the stores and dare the federal government to stop them. An ironic twist of fate, that.
That's why DeSantis stepped in, under the Florida pre-emption law he can remove from office anyone who violates an emergency order handed down by the Governors office. The Director of the Florida Department of Agriculture is about to discover that as well if she doesn't back off and reopen the departments Concealed Carry Licensing Office, which she closed in violation of FS 790 by claiming it needed to be closed due to COVID-19 dangers.
Seems to me you should order what you want online then get a 15 minute timeslot to come in with 2 other customers.
