Pistol Packers

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Police are concerned that the relaxed regulations do not set minimal competency standards for using firearms and reduce to 48 hours the maximum cooling-off period for purchasing a handgun. Stricter criteria were required in some counties under local ordinances, which the state law supersedes. In Broward County, for example, gun-permit applicants had to pay a $500 fee, pass an extensive police check, complete a handgun safety course, have an approved reason for carrying a gun and undergo a psychological examination. As a result, the county had only 24 outstanding licenses for concealed weapons.

% Nevertheless, support for the controversial law is strong. Proponents of the bill point to states such as North Dakota and Vermont that have practically no gun restrictions and boast the lowest violent-crime rates in the U.S. Says Marion Hammer, executive director of the Unified Sportsmen of Florida: "People in this state are sick and tired of being victims of crime."