Florida residents will be able to carry concealed firearms without a permit anywhere in the state after Republican governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that has been condemned as “shameful” by the White House.
Mr DeSantis signed the legislation in a closed-door ceremony in his office, making Florida the 26th American state with a permitless concealed carry law.
"Constitutional Carry is in the books," he said in a short news release.
The law, which will come into effect from 1 July, will allow anyone to legally own a gun in Florida without the need to pass a background check or have any training in order to purchase arms.
The bill was overwhelmingly approved in Florida’s state legislature last week, three days after a mass shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville left six people dead, including three 9-year-old students.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticised the Florida governor for signing the bill, saying it is the “opposite of common sense gun safety”.
"It is shameful that so soon after another tragic school shooting, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, which eliminates the need to get a license to carry a concealed weapon," Ms Jean-Pierre said.
She then referred to three high-profile shootings that have occurred in Florida, including the 2018 Parkland high school shooting that left 17 people dead, the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting that killed 49 and a shooting in February that killed a woman and a 9-year-old.
"The people of Florida – who have paid a steep price for the state and Congressional inaction on guns from Parkland to Pulse Nightclub to Pine Hills – deserve better," Ms Jean-Pierre added.
The bill SB150/HB543 overturns the state’s gun laws that require gun owners to obtain licenses to carry concealed weapons. People were required to complete training courses and pass background checks to obtain those licenses.
Mr DeSantis, who is believed to be planning a 2024 presidential run, last week touted the bill during his controversial visit to a gun store outside Atlanta, dubbed “the world’s largest gun store” for the promotion of his book The Courage to Be Free.
“As of right now, there’s 25 states... that allow that,” DeSantis told the crowd on Thursday, referring to permitless carry. “Well, in Florida next week, we’re going to make it 26.”
His visit to the store was criticised, with Georgia Democrats issuing a joint statement to denounce the visit just days after the deadly Nashville shooting. The statement said that the new legislation would “make it easier for criminals to carry guns” and “make children in his state even less safe”.
Democratic National Committee chair Jaime Harrison also sharply criticised Mr DeSantis.
“Hiding behind closed doors and standing shoulder to shoulder with the NRA, Ron DeSantis just signed legislation that could make it easier for criminals to carry guns,” he said.
“DeSantis knows this legislation could be dangerous for Florida families and that’s why he signed this bill with none of his usual produced fanfare.”
The news of the closed-door signing was first released to Fox News and announced with a two-paragraph release. It was also unusual for Mr DeSantis, whose announcement of policy changes and proposals include press conferences and media fanfare.
