Florida Senate - 2021 SM 1630 By Senator Hutson 7-01607B-21 20211630__ 1 Senate Memorial 2 A memorial to the Congress of the United States, 3 expressing the consensus of the Florida Legislature 4 that proposals forthcoming at the federal level to 5 restrict the right to keep and bear arms violate the 6 Constitution of the United States and affirming the 7 intent of the Florida Legislature to do everything in 8 its power to protect the rights of Florida residents 9 under the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the 10 United States and under the Florida Constitution. 11 12 WHEREAS, the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the 13 United States and Section 8, Article I of the Florida 14 Constitution protect the individual right to keep and bear arms, 15 and 16 WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States has ruled 17 that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep 18 and bear arms commonly used for lawful purposes, and 19 WHEREAS, the President of the United States has made clear 20 his intent to press the United States Congress to pass 21 legislation that would restrict the lawful acquisition and 22 possession of firearms and ban many firearms commonly used for 23 self-defense, hunting, competition, and target shooting, and 24 WHEREAS, the Supreme Court of the United States has 25 recognized that the principles of separate sovereignty, as 26 embodied in the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the 27 United States, prohibit the Federal Government from requiring 28 the State of Florida or its officers to take part in any federal 29 gun-control scheme, and 30 WHEREAS, it is the duty of the State of Florida to exercise 31 all of its lawful authority to protect the right of all Florida 32 residents to keep and bear arms, NOW, THEREFORE, 33 34 Be It Resolved by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 35 36 That it is the consensus of the Florida Legislature that 37 the President’s proposals to restrict the right to keep and bear 38 arms of law-abiding citizens violates the Constitution of the 39 United States. 40 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Florida Legislature, on 41 behalf of the State of Florida and residents of this state, 42 intends to use all of its lawful authority and power to resist 43 or overturn any federal gun-control measure that violates the 44 right of Florida residents to keep and bear arms. 45 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of State dispatch 46 copies of this memorial to the President of the United States, 47 to the President of the United States Senate, to the Speaker of 48 the United States House of Representatives, and to each member 49 of the Florida delegation to the United States Congress.