Floridians will be able to carry concealed weapons without a license under a bill from the Republican government. Ron DeSantis signed on Monday, giving the governor another legislative victory as he prepares a campaign for president.

the

Florida

governor signed the bill into law in a private ceremony in his office. His only immediate public comment was: Constitutional Carry is on the books, which he said in a three-paragraph press release.

The new law allows anyone who can legally own a gun in Florida to carry one without a license. It means that training and a background check are not necessary to carry concealed weapons in public. It takes effect on July 1.

Arguments over the legislation were divided along political lines, with Republicans saying law-abiding citizens have the right to bear arms and protect themselves. They say most people want a license anyway because it allows them to carry concealed weapons in states with mutual agreements and buy guns without waiting time.

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However, Democrats and guns

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Security advocates pointing to mass shootings in Florida, such as the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando and the deadly 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, say the new law will only make the state more dangerous .

I’m pissed off,” Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter Jaime was killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, told reporters during an online press conference. I’ll chase him across the state and possibly across the country… because Ron DeSantis signed a bill today that guarantees there will be more Jaimes.

And he said signing the bill behind closed doors makes DeSantis a coward.

Someone in Florida could die… because of this legislation. That’s because of you, Ron DeSantis, Guttenberg said. I understand why you have been hiding today… You are a weak, pathetic, mean-spirited individual.

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Nearly 3 million Floridians have concealed weapons permits. While a background check and a three-day waiting period are still required to purchase a gun from an authorized dealer, they are not required for private transactions or gun exchanges.

DeSantis has said he believes Florida should go even further and allow people to openly carry guns. While some lawmakers have pushed for open carry, it doesn’t appear the legislature will pass such legislation this session.

The signing of the bill comes five years after the then government. Rick Scott (R Fla.)

a Republican,

signed a bill that instituted gun restrictions after 17 students and teachers were killed in Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Under DeSantis, momentum has returned to expanding gun rights rather than setting limits on them, earning him praise from gun owners.

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rights defenders.

“The administration will not stand in the way of law-abiding Americans who want to defend themselves and their families,” Republican Senator Jay Collins, who sponsored the bill, said in a press release.

It also comes a week after six people were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school.