Florida's Republican Supermajority Is Failing Gun Owners and Freedom

Florida loves to brand itself as “the freest state in the union.”  With a Republican supermajority controlling the legislature, a conservative governor at the helm, and voters who want a pro-freedom agenda enacted, you'd think that claim would hold water. However, this year’s legislative session proved just how hollow that slogan has become.

Despite holding a commanding majority in both chambers, Florida Republicans couldn’t even finish the session on time. The sine die adjournment didn’t happen until June 16—six weeks past the 60-day limit set by the Florida Constitution—because the GOP supermajority couldn’t even agree on something as simple as the state’s budget.

Governor Ron DeSantis wanted that budget to include meaningful property tax relief and other cuts to help Floridians. Instead, the House Speaker and his allies pushed for sales tax breaks that mostly benefit out-of-state tourists. While everyday Floridians struggle with rising house related costs, Tallahassee Republicans decided visitors mattered more than their voters. But the dysfunction didn’t stop there—and it directly impacted your Second Amendment rights.

Among the governor’s budget proposals was a “Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday”—a window from Memorial Day to Independence Day where guns and ammunition would be sold tax-free. Gun Owners of America supported it, and while we’d prefer permanent tax relief on firearms like West Virginia offers, a tax holiday would have been a step in the right direction. Yet Florida’s so-called “pro-gun” Republicans wouldn’t even bring that up for debate. Let that sink in.

In a state run entirely by Republicans who campaign on a “pro-gun platform”, with a governor who explicitly asked for it, a simple two-month tax break on guns and ammo was too much for the GOP supermajority to handle. That tells you everything you need to know about the political rot in Tallahassee. Believe it or not, it gets worse.

This session, Florida Republicans actively blocked or defeated every major pro-gun bill on the table:

·      GOA’s Open Carry Bill? Never left drafting. The bill’s sponsor was threatened with political exile.

·      Campus Carry? Shot down in committee, with Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia siding with anti-gun Democrats to defeat it.

·      Repeal of the Bump Stock Ban? Never scheduled for a debate in either chamber, let alone a vote.

·      Repeal of the Under-21 Purchase Ban? Senate President Ben Albritton refused to even hear it.

Meanwhile, one bill that did sail through without any fight from Republican lawmakers was a carve-out to the mandatory waiting period... for cops. There was no carve-out for domestic violence victims, or for law-abiding Floridians under threat—just for those with a badge.

As a former cop, I find that disgraceful. My badge didn’t make me more important than the people I served. Yet Florida’s Republican lawmakers clearly believe that the government’s armed agents are entitled to more rights than the taxpayers who fund their salaries and vest them with their authority. This is what a Republican supermajority in Florida has delivered: delay, dysfunction, and betrayal.

Supermajorities can be dangerous because they eliminate accountability. In Florida, Republican legislators don’t fear the voter anymore. Case in point: After passing gun control in 2018, they gained seats. Now, they face no real electoral threat—and it shows. That unchecked power allows leadership to silence the few true Second Amendment champions in the legislature. They strip them of committee assignments and sideline them in political exile. There’s no Freedom Caucus in Tallahassee because the GOP establishment doesn’t tolerate dissent—even patriotic dissent.

Meanwhile in Washington, D.C., where the balance of power is razor-thin, pro-gun lawmakers can punch above their weight. Thanks to GOA’s grassroots activism and a few courageous legislators, the Hearing Protection Act and the SHORT Act are gaining real momentum. But in Florida, the system is rigged. Term limits – a popular movement on the right -- only make it worse. 

The House Speaker and Senate President are untouchable—they’re on their way out, so they answer to no one. That gives them free rein to strangle bills they don’t like, reward big corrupt donor-aligned allies, and ignore the very voters who sent them to Tallahassee. Worse still, their successors are handpicked and groomed long in advance. It’s a political machine, and its gears are greased with betrayal. Gun owners deserve better. Floridians deserve better.

If this is what a Republican supermajority looks like, it’s time we reexamine who really stands for freedom in the Sunshine State. In states like Florida, Texas, Wyoming, and others where Republicans hold supermajorities, the real battle isn’t between Republicans and Democrats— it’s liberty-minded conservatives vs. authoritarian RINOs (Republicans-in-Name-Only).

The real fight is inside the Republican Party itself. Voters must stop assuming that every candidate with an “R” next to their name actually stands for conservative, pro-liberty values, because too often, they don’t. Florida is a case study of that failure. Take Rep. Hillary Cassel for example. After the 2024 elections, one of the state’s most notoriously anti-gun Democrats suddenly switched jerseys—from Blue to Red—and the Republican Party of Florida rolled out the red carpet for her, no questions asked. Ignoring her anti-gun voting record—the RPOF claimed she’d make a fine Republican. How did she repay that trust? As a newly minted “Republican,” she voted twice against repealing Florida’s unconstitutional Under-21 Firearm Purchase Ban—once in committee and again on the House floor -  the Republican establishment at no point admonished her for that.

This is why primaries matter. And more than that, it’s why getting involved in your state’s political party structure matters even more. If you sit on the sidelines, you allow RINOs and political opportunists to hijack the movement—and soon, your state could end up just like Florida. If you love liberty and cherish freedom, become involved. Don’t let your state befall what has happened to Florida this year.

Luis Valdes is a former law enforcement officer and detective, and is currently the Florida State Director, Outreach Director of Puerto Rico & US Virgin Islands, and National Spokesman for Gun Owners of America. You can follow Luis on X via @RealFLGunLobby.

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