Florida Chamber Files Suit Against Guns at Work Bill

April 21, 2008

This afternoon, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Retail Federation filed suit in federal court in Tallahassee against the “Guns At Work” legislation. We are taking this action to restore what 80 percent of Florida voters believe to be true — that a business owner should be able to decide if employees can or cannot bring guns on their property.

House Bill 503, which was signed into law April 15 by Governor Charlie Crist, violates the Takings and Substantive Due Process clauses of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and is in direct conflict with the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA), and therefore violates the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the U.S. Constitution.

Together, the Florida Chamber and Florida Retail Federation are seeking the court to declare the new law unconstitutional and to enjoin the enforcement of this statute.