"Open carry is just beyond my imagination. It's terrifying," said Nacy Bass.
People opposed to the new constitutional carry bill being put through the Florida legislature, including local university students, were at the capitol to protest Tuesday. They say if the measure passes, it could lead to more violence.
While supporters of the permitless carry bill were inside the capitol pushing it through the judiciary committee, dozens of opposers were joined by college students outside to fight for more common-sense gun legislation and safety.
"It does definitely make me fear for my life and the daily things that I do on campus as a student," said Alexis Dorman a student at Florida State University and the President of College Democrats.
Dorman stood outside the old Florida Capitol rallying with other FSU, Florida A&M University students and opposers to House Bill 543, which would allow permitless carry of a firearm in Florida.
The bill would eliminate the requirement for someone to have a concealed weapons license in order to carry a firearm. It would also get rid of firearm trainings for how to safely use and store a firearm before someone can carry it in public.
Supporters of the bill, also adding in provisions to bolster school safety, say it will increase self-defense. House Speaker Paul Renner who introduced the bill believes it will also allow Floridians to exercise their Second amendment rights without government interference.
"Providing the right to self-defense to men and women who may come in harm's way to be able to defend themselves and those they love, while at the same time defending our school kids, defending people from bad people that seek to do them harm," said Renner.
However, students like Dorman disagree. She believes it'll only increase access to firearms, making them more prevalent on campus.
"Our college campuses are public. People can carry things onto campus even if they're not supposed to," said Dorman.
Democrats believe allowing Florida to become a permitless carry state will also open the door for more gun related injuries and deaths.
"The sad reality is that this bill doesn't have any evidence that's going to make us more safe, but there is evidence that it could make us less safe, to the point where Republicans have actually tied school safety measures into the bill to try to distract from that," said Florida House of Representative Anna Eskamani.
Nancy Bass believes the bill could actually make gun violence worse in her community. "Leon County is highly publicized," said Bass. "The numbers are horrible in terms of shootings, which means guns, deaths and so many are young people."
Gay Valimont with Moms Demand Action is worried about the future of kid's safety and believes permitless carry is not the answer. "Gun violence is the number one killer of kids and teens in this country," said Valimont. "We don't need to dismantle our systems that we have in place to make our problems worse."
If this bill becomes law, a person carrying a concealed weapon without a license still won't be allowed to carry in places like schools and athletic events. The bill is now on its way to the floor for a final vote.
