Feb. 6
Deadline to register to vote in Special Election
FEBRUARY 3 - FEBRUARY 9, 2023
Lawmakers propose ‘constitutional carry’
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 5
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Write-in candidate says he was tricked
By Ryan Dailey Florida News Service
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alling the proposal an effort to “remove the government permission slip,” House Speaker Paul Renner on Monday announced legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without licenses. Renner, R-Palm Coast, was flanked by Republican lawmakers and county sheriffs who backed the 63-page proposal, which would create what supporters call “constitutional carry.”. “Central to the idea of freedom is the right that we can defend ourselves against physical attack, as well as defend those that we love. The Constitution did not give us those rights, the creator gave us those rights. But it does put it down on paper in the Second Amendment. And the courts have interpreted that to mean an individual right to keep and bear arms for self-defense,” Renner said. Under current law, people who want to carry concealed weapons need to apply to the state for a license and go through a process that includes passing criminal background checks. More than 2.62 million people had concealed weapons licenses as of Dec. 31, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which administers the program. Lawmakers will consider the proposal (HB 543) during the legislative session that will start March 7. Under the bill, a person would need to “carry valid identification at all times when he or she is in actual possession of a concealed weapon or concealed firearm and must display such identification upon demand by a law enforcement officer.” Also, current prohibitions on carrying guns at places such as schools and athletic events would continue to apply. People who are not Florida residents could carry concealed firearms if they are 21 or older, according to the proposal. Rep. Chuck Brannan, R-Macclenny, See Gun, page A4
Robert Fox of Foxy Bail Bonds poses for a photo at Tuscawilla Park in Ocala on Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2023.
Fox, along with campaign treasurer Mackbean, recount how political operative Brett Doster asked Fox to file while misrepresenting his position in the race to benefit candidate Ryan Chamberlin. By Jennifer Hunt Murty jennifer@ocalagazette.com
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obert “Foxy” Fox, a Republican whose candidacy effectively closed the March 7 special election for Florida House District 24 to Republican voters only, says he now realizes he was duped by GOP political operatives who led him to believe they represented the republican party but instead are tied to candidate Ryan Chamberlin. Fox is one of six Republican candidates in the special election to replace Joe Harding, who resigned the seat
in December after a federal indictment charged him with numerous counts of fraud. This is the second time Fox has filed to run for a seat in the Florida House of Representatives. Last year, he filed to challenge Harding, only to withdraw in May at the request of elected officials he declined to identify who he said called him to ask that he let Harding run unopposed. Because no Democrat or third-party candidate filed, state election laws would have designated this a universal primary open to all voters in District 24, which encompasses a portion
of Marion County with high voter turnout along the Highway 200 corridor. When Fox entered the race as a write-in candidate, it closed the door to only republican votes in the primary election. If the race goes to a general election in May, all voters can cast ballots and their choice will be the winner of the primary or a blank line to write in Fox’s name. Fox said he was approached by a friend, whose identity he declined to reveal, on Jan. 6 with an odd request: “Would you do a favor for the Republican Party?” Fox said he would listen and consider
it, as long as what was being asked was not illegal. That evening, Fox received a phone call from Brett Doster, who he believed at the time to be a representative of the Republican party. Doster, Fox said, asked him to be a write-in candidate to close the primary. Fox would later learn that Doster was a longtime political consultant for Republican candidates around Florida. Fox told the Gazette that at the time, he thought it fair that only Republicans be able to vote since the other parties did not field their own candidate. See Chamberlin, page A2
Unified effort
Local and federal agencies report on their combined efforts to deter violent crimes. By Andy Fillmore Correspondent
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ocal and federal officials held a joint news conference Feb. 1 at Ocala Police Department headquarters to discuss progress in their combined fight against violent crime in Marion County, with a focus on crimes involving guns. The U.S. Attorney’s Office (Ocala Division) prosecuted 57 firearms cases tied to 60 defendants between July 2018 and December 2022. As of Dec. 31, 2022, 49 of the 60 defendants had been sentenced in federal court to a combined total of
388 years in federal prison, according to a press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ)/United States Middle District of Florida. OPD Chief Mike Balken, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods and William “Bill” Gladson, U.S. 5th Judicial State Attorney for Marion and four adjacent counties, whose office is in Ocala, joined representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for the press conference to discuss their collaborations to combat and reduce violent crime.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida serves 35 counties and has offices in Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Myers and Ocala Balken opened the press conference saying that local violent crime causes residents “fear” and interferes with their “quality of life,” according to a video supplied by OPD. Balken said he was “proud” of the success stories of the “unified and relentless” efforts by the local and federal partners’ joint efforts. “I am extremely proud of the incredible work these partners are doing to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions,” Balken stated in the DOJ release.
Woods praised the joint local and federal effort and promised to “use every tool… every man and woman” in the office to deter and stop violent crime. Woods said there were 124 shootings in 2022 and that 51 were gang related; nine of those were homicides. He said there were 12 homicides in 2020 and 15 homicides in 2021. “We support, protect and defend the Constitution and have a great appreciation for those lawful gun owners that simply wish to live peaceably. But we will come together bringing all of our available See Crime, page A6
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Democratic Party.......................... A3 Status of the Arts.......................... A5 State Budget................................... A9 Cooking Outside............................ B1 Calendar......................................... B5
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