Well, here's some good news for a change. That HOA in Port St. Lucie that tried to ban lawful concealed carry on their property just threw in the towel.
The Tradition Community Association - that's about 10,000 folks living in this big planned community down in Florida - had instituted a blanket ban on carrying in their common areas. We're talking trails, dog parks, shopping areas - the whole nine yards. Residents didn't even know about it until they got letters in the mail. That's how these things work sometimes - bureaucratic overreach behind closed doors.
Now, here's what got interesting. The Port St. Lucie police chief came right out and said his officers wouldn't enforce it because, you know, it's an HOA rule, not a crime. But the real pressure came from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier. He sent them a letter last month pointing out that Florida Statute 790.251(4)(e) protects employees and invitees from being discriminated against for exercising their right to bear arms. Since TCA is a private employer and people visiting those common areas are essentially invitees, the HOA was on shaky legal ground.
Could they have fought it in court? Sure. But would have cost them a fortune with no guarantee of winning. So they did the smart thing - they repealed the ban.
Uthmeier's office has been solid on Second Amendment issues. He's gone after Jacksonville for that illegal registry of gun owners, supported ending Florida's open carry ban, and recently took aim at the state's waiting period law. This AG actually understands that our rights aren't negotiable.
The message should be clear to every HOA and property manager in Florida: if you're thinking about restricting concealed carry, know that the Attorney General is watching and will take action. That's exactly how it should work - government actually defending our constitutional rights instead of chipping away at them.
This never should have been implemented in the first place, but I'm glad it got resolved without residents having to file a lawsuit. Now let's see if other states have AGs willing to stand up for the Second Amendment like this.