Open Carry Advocates Gearing Up in 5 States Including Florida

Having held five events over the weekend, Second Amendment advocates continue to promote changing laws in Florida to allow citizens to openly carry holstered handguns. Open carry was legal in Florida until 1987 when Janet Reno, then an assistant state attorney in South Florida, lobbied the Legislature to ban the practice save in some situations -- namely hunting, fishing and at firing ranges.

The Janet Reno open carry ban will be repealed, said Sean Caranna of Florida Open Carry.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Scott vowed to change the law during the campaign and Second Amendment advocates are expecting open carry to pass in 2011. Right now, there are seven states that do not allow open carry--and there is a chance that number will decrease soon.

Open carry will be legalized in Oklahoma in the next legislative session, and probably Florida as well, said John Pierce, a spokesman for OpenCarry.org. Once that happens, South Carolina, Texas, and Arkansas will probably follow suit.