TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A 19th Century gang weapon can now be legally made and sold in Florida.
Gov. Rick Scott signed 34 bills Thursday, including a measure (HB 4009) that deletes part of state law that has prohibited the manufacturing or sale of a maritime tool known as a slungshot.
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"The slungshot often consists of a weight affixed to the end of a long cord by being wound into the center of a knot called a monkey's fist," according to a Senate analysis of the bill. "Although the slungshot is a maritime tool, it became an improvised and very effective weapon, widely used by street gangs in the 19th Century."
The bill, which became effective upon Scott's signature, removes the slungshot from the definition of a concealed weapon and also lifts a prohibition on the sale or transfer of a slungshot to a minor.
The measure was sponsored by Rep. Neil Combee, R-Polk City, with Sen. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, sponsoring the Senate version.