Senate President Albritton 'Not in a Place' Yet to Pick Sides on Proper Gun-Buying Age

Already opposed to open carry laws, Florida Senate President Ben Albritton is unsure if he would agree to one Republican's bill repealing Parkland-era gun laws requiring Floridians to be 21 to purchase firearms.

Albritton, a Wauchula Republican, told reporters Monday that because he likes to follow law enforcement's lead on gun issues, and because he has yet to discuss gun-buying age with them, he isn't sure what his position is on Sen. Randy Fine's new bill repealing a 2018 law banning 18-year-old Floridians from buying guns.

"I'm not in a place today to where I'm going to voice one way or the other," he said, stressing the adage "Measure three times cut once," because, "That applies here.

"We're gonna be doing a lot of measuring on this to understand where we're going and what we're doing," said Albritton, a lifetime NRA member who says he carries on "most days."

"Any of these topics that deal with guns in Florida [we] really need to be thoughtful about, and maybe cautious would be the wrong word, but it's what comes to mind," he continued. "I look forward to engaging with law enforcement, yet again, about what that looks like."

Sen. Fine, a newly-elected state Senator who will resign his seat in March to run for Congress, filed the pro-gun legislation last week in the name of Second Amendment rights. His bill would repeal a 2018 law raising the gun-buying age to 21, which was enacted after 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz murdered 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day 2018.

His bill is similar to legislation filed last week by state Rep. Joel Rudman, who is also resigning to run for a different congressional seat. Rudman's bill would legalize open carry and repeal Parkland-era red flag laws allowing courts to remove firearms from people deemed to be a threat.

The difference?

Albritton has taken a firm stance against open-carry legislation, telling reporters in November and doubling down on Monday that because law enforcement opposes allowing Floridians to openly display their guns, he does too. This means Rudman's bill is unlikely to gain a Senate companion, and likely will not become law.

"I oppose open carry because law enforcement in this state believe that it's not good for Florida," he said.