Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis is responding to a credit card company’s decision to use a special sales code for gun and ammunition sales.
Visa, Mastercard, and American Express will all be using the code to track consumer credit card purchases for these items at United States gun stores.
Patronis has released a statement in which he said Florida would take action against the credit card companies using the code in the state of Florida.
“The second amendment is foundational to our American way of life. The idea that law-abiding Americans would be on a corporate watchlist is disturbing.
“Our rights come from our Creator, not the government, and especially not big corporations. The actions by these credit card companies are part of a larger effort to curtail the God-given constitutional rights of Americans.
“It is also symptomatic of the virus known as ESG, which is part of a global effort to re-engineer the country that we love so much socially. There is no way we will allow that to happen in the free state of Florida,” Patronis said.
“If we come to the legislative session and companies like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are generating these reports to create a chilling effect against the purchase of firearms, then I’ll work with the Legislature to pass a law penalizing businesses who are targeting the right to bear arms,” Patronis said.
He added, “We’ve seen a groundbreaking ruling come out of the Fifth Circuit limiting corporations’ ability to curtail American’s constitutional rights, so we are on a solid legal footing to pursue a bill protecting Floridians 2nd Amendment Rights.
“We can also take it further by barring these companies from doing any business with the State of Florida. We will send a message to these large corporations that if you are interested in doing business with Florida, you need to ensure that you’re protecting Floridians’ right to arm and defend themselves.”
Patronis is not alone in his decision to reject the merchant code.
There are attorneys generals from a total of 24 states who are not in agreement with credit card companies using the new merchant code.
They have sent a letter to CEOs at American Express, Mastercard, and Visa arguing that the move will not protect public safety.
They believe it will just provide a list of gun buyers that may be used inappropriately, according to WLOX.
Attorney generals in New York and California have publicly expressed their support of the new code, and Dem. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey of Massachusetts, according to CNBC.