A powerful south Florida state senator who repeatedly sidelined popular gun rights legislation lost his seat Tuesday, opening the door for campus carry and open carry in the Sunshine State.
Florida State Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, chairs the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and in 2015 refused to hold hearings on a bill to allow legal concealed carry on public colleges and universities. Diaz de la Portilla was also a fly in the ointment when it came to derailing an emergency concealed carry bill the year before and in 2016 was key in killing bills on campus carry and open carry, refusing to even meet with advocates.
However, even though he was supported by a $85,000 ad campaign paid for by Everytown, state Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Democrat, beat Diaz de la Portilla in this week’s election.
Source: Florida Republican who killed pro-gun bills loses seat, gives hope to 2A advocates
With all the excitement about the presidential race, I forgot about De La Portilla till Mark C. sent me an email. Thanks!
I am guessing that a lot of RINOS and other Republicans in Florida’s Legislature are re-thinking the misguided idea pressed by the Media that the NRA and Gun Owners had lost their political influence. This is great news as now we have a fighting chance for Open Carry and Campus Carry to be passed in Florida. We had the numbers but it was De La Portilla who did not allow the bills to go to the floor… and he paid for it. I said it a while back: If you are going to behave like a Democrat, might as well elect one instead of a fake Republican.
Dear tocayo, you should have listened to your voters, not the New York carpetbaggers. Maybe they will hire you to carry Shannon Watt’s purse. Good riddance.
Outstanding!!!
Good job!
Thats music to my ears. Let’s get the ball rolling again.
This is a fantastic turn of events! Perhaps the second best news out of Tuesday.
Last weekend, I was at a talk by our County Sheriff. He said he broke ranks with the Sheriff’s Association to work on passing open carry last year, and had been working with the people trying to write this year’s bill. He said he was pretty confident they had put together a bill that would pass this year. Having De La Portilla gone probably put those chances up pretty high.