City of Okeechobee, FL violated State Preemption FS 790.33.

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  • Miami_JBT

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    City of Okeechobee, FL violated State Preemption FS 790.33.

    OK_Sign_jpg-3334798.JPG


    The legal authority under that act is wrong. It cites 870.043, a Declaration of emergency.

    FS 870.043 states the following:

    Whenever the sheriff or designated city official determines that there has been an act of violence or a flagrant and substantial defiance of, or resistance to, a lawful exercise of public authority and that, on account thereof, there is reason to believe that there exists a clear and present danger of a riot or other general public disorder, widespread disobedience of the law, and substantial injury to persons or to property, all of which constitute an imminent threat to public peace or order and to the general welfare of the jurisdiction affected or a part or parts thereof, he or she may declare that a state of emergency exists within that jurisdiction or any part or parts thereof.

    There is no current threat of rioting and rebellion against the state, county, nor city. Furthermore, they are not fulling stating FS 870.044 in its entirety.

    870.044 Automatic emergency measures.—
    Whenever the public official declares that a state of emergency exists, pursuant to s. 870.043, the following acts shall be prohibited during the period of said emergency throughout the jurisdiction:
    (1) The sale of, or offer to sell, with or without consideration, any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size or description.
    (2) The intentional display, after the emergency is declared, by or in any store or shop of any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size or description.
    (3) The intentional possession in a public place of a firearm by any person, except a duly authorized law enforcement official or person in military service acting in the official performance of her or his duty.

    Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to authorize the seizure, taking, or confiscation of firearms that are lawfully possessed, unless a person is engaged in a criminal act. History.—ss. 4, 5, ch. 70-990; s. 1401, ch. 97-102; s. 2, ch. 2006-100.


    The final part of 870.044 bars the enforcement of banning people from carrying arms.

    The City of Okeechobee and its employees are in violation of 790.33 - Field of regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted.

    (1) PREEMPTION.—Except as expressly provided by the State Constitution or general law, the Legislature hereby declares that it is occupying the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all existing and future county, city, town, or municipal ordinances or any administrative regulations or rules adopted by local or state government relating thereto. Any such existing ordinances, rules, or regulations are hereby declared null and void.

    (a) Any person, county, agency, municipality, district, or other entity that violates the Legislature’s occupation of the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, as declared in subsection (1), by enacting or causing to be enforced any local ordinance or administrative rule or regulation impinging upon such exclusive occupation of the field shall be liable as set forth herein.
    (b) If any county, city, town, or other local government violates this section, the court shall declare the improper ordinance, regulation, or rule invalid and issue a permanent injunction against the local government prohibiting it from enforcing such ordinance, regulation, or rule. It is no defense that in enacting the ordinance, regulation, or rule the local government was acting in good faith or upon advice of counsel.


    I have sent official notice to the City of Okeechobee.
     

    Shootist

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    City of Okeechobee, FL violated State Preemption FS 790.33.

    OK_Sign_jpg-3334798.JPG


    The legal authority under that act is wrong. It cites 870.043, a Declaration of emergency.

    FS 870.043 states the following:

    Whenever the sheriff or designated city official determines that there has been an act of violence or a flagrant and substantial defiance of, or resistance to, a lawful exercise of public authority and that, on account thereof, there is reason to believe that there exists a clear and present danger of a riot or other general public disorder, widespread disobedience of the law, and substantial injury to persons or to property, all of which constitute an imminent threat to public peace or order and to the general welfare of the jurisdiction affected or a part or parts thereof, he or she may declare that a state of emergency exists within that jurisdiction or any part or parts thereof.

    There is no current threat of rioting and rebellion against the state, county, nor city. Furthermore, they are not fulling stating FS 870.044 in its entirety.

    870.044 Automatic emergency measures.—
    Whenever the public official declares that a state of emergency exists, pursuant to s. 870.043, the following acts shall be prohibited during the period of said emergency throughout the jurisdiction:
    (1) The sale of, or offer to sell, with or without consideration, any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size or description.
    (2) The intentional display, after the emergency is declared, by or in any store or shop of any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size or description.
    (3) The intentional possession in a public place of a firearm by any person, except a duly authorized law enforcement official or person in military service acting in the official performance of her or his duty.


    Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to authorize the seizure, taking, or confiscation of firearms that are lawfully possessed, unless a person is engaged in a criminal act. History.—ss. 4, 5, ch. 70-990; s. 1401, ch. 97-102; s. 2, ch. 2006-100.

    The final part of 870.044 bars the enforcement of banning people from carrying arms.

    The City of Okeechobee and its employees are in violation of 790.33 - Field of regulation of firearms and ammunition preempted.

    (1) PREEMPTION.—Except as expressly provided by the State Constitution or general law, the Legislature hereby declares that it is occupying the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, including the purchase, sale, transfer, taxation, manufacture, ownership, possession, storage, and transportation thereof, to the exclusion of all existing and future county, city, town, or municipal ordinances or any administrative regulations or rules adopted by local or state government relating thereto. Any such existing ordinances, rules, or regulations are hereby declared null and void.

    (a) Any person, county, agency, municipality, district, or other entity that violates the Legislature’s occupation of the whole field of regulation of firearms and ammunition, as declared in subsection (1), by enacting or causing to be enforced any local ordinance or administrative rule or regulation impinging upon such exclusive occupation of the field shall be liable as set forth herein.
    (b) If any county, city, town, or other local government violates this section, the court shall declare the improper ordinance, regulation, or rule invalid and issue a permanent injunction against the local government prohibiting it from enforcing such ordinance, regulation, or rule. It is no defense that in enacting the ordinance, regulation, or rule the local government was acting in good faith or upon advice of counsel.


    I have sent official notice to the City of Okeechobee.
    Hope you shove up their collective keisters.
     

    FNHman

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    To bad the judges wont order the hands off these people chopped off so they cant keep on doing these illegal acts.
     

    Miami_JBT

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    During their Sept. 30 meeting, the Okeechobee City Council was addressed by Luis Valdes concerning the emergency declaration the council issued on Sept. 26.

    Valdes told the council he is the Florida State Director for Gun Owners of America and was there specifically to talk to the council about the emergency declaration,

    Valdes said he is a 15-year veteran law enforcement officer and was concerned about the declaration. He said that the provision restricting the sale or use of firearms during an emergency, is only for riots and looters, not for hurricanes.

    Mayor Dowling Watford interrupted to say the council does realize that now.

    Valdes continued saying it was not enough to just say, “Our bad. We didn’t mean to ban the sale of firearms.”

    He said it was never a good idea to disarm the public during an emergency because the criminals do not care and will not be giving up their guns.

    Mayor Watford said it was a mistake and they apologize for it. “It will not happen again. We copied an old ordinance, and will not do it again.”

    Police Chief Donald Hagan said the ordinance was enacted in 2004 and was based on the laws of that time. It has just not been noticed that there was an issue until now.

    The chief said at no time did he exercise any restriction on gun use or sales. He checked with local gun shops later, and all said they were not impacted in any way.
     

    Miami_JBT

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    Reports quickly began coming in from Gun Owners of America members, said Luis Valdes, the group's Florida State director. Even though the order was rescinded, it is still worth talking about, Valdes said.

    "It's still a Second Amendment issue. It's the whole thing of the canary in the coal mine," Valdes said. "This happened, this is important and we are a no-compromise national gun-rights organization. That is our entire stance, and we wanted to get to the bottom of this and make sure this never happens again because, as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

    Police Department spokesperson Jarret Romanello said Wednesday that Hagan had his own concerns with the language of the order from the beginning, but he was told that the language needed to be included to initiate a local state of emergency.

    Local emergency orders are usually issued — usually using a different state statute than the one about riots — to give cities and counties easier access to state resources. Once Hagan began to hear complaints from the public, Romanello said, the process of rescinding the order began.

    "Chief Don Hagan had some concerns about the stipulations of the emergency order from the beginning, and once the order was placed in effect, it was in effect for about about 12 hours and we started receiving some emails and phone calls about it, and the chief took a second look at it, took it to our legal team and he said he's terminating it," Romanello said.

    The order was never enforced, Romanello said.

    "We put the wrong one out. Mistake on our part. And we terminated it right away. What's really, really important for us, that we'd like to get out to the public, is that at no time were any guns seized and at no time did any Okeechobee police officers take any enforcement action pursuant to this declaration," Romanello said.

    On Monday, Valdes traveled to Okeechobee to speak at a City Council meeting. He warned city leaders that under state law, government officials can be personally fined up to $5,000 for violating Second Amendment rights.

    Mayor Dowling Watford assured Valdes that such a mistake would not happen again.

    "I hope you realize that we realize that we made a bad mistake, and we will correct that in the future, I promise you. That will not happen again, I promise you that," Watford said.

    The city, and its chief, support gun rights, Romanello said, pointing to a unanimous vote in 2020 declaring the city a "sanctuary city for the Second Amendment."
     
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