Has Publix reversed course on its open carry policy? The grocery giant changed its longstanding prohibition against firearms last September to match new state laws, but as of May 6, new signs have appeared in the grocery giant’s stores gently discouraging the practice.
“Publix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores,” the message reads, near the bottom of a broader list of store rules, alongside more routine policies like no pets and no soliciting. The company’s online chatbot, when asked about open carry, returns the same message.
POLL: Do you agree or disagree? Answer here, or scroll down to the bottom of the page and use our interactive voting tool.
A Publix customer service representative confirmed the policy change to Suncoast Searchlight, although the chain has not issued an official notice. Questions sent to a Publix representative have not yet been answered.
The Lakeland-based chain started allowing open carry last fall after a court panel declared Florida’s open carry ban to be unconstitutional, and state Attorney General James Uthmeier rushed to say that open carry was now the law of the land. Many other grocery stores and retailers did the same, although some, such as Walmart and Costco, did not.
The change comes days after a Texas man was arrested on a murder charge after fatally shooting an Ohio Costco employee, Randolph Corrigan, seven to eight times, according to police and media reports. Corrigan had tried to stop him from entering the store while carrying a handgun with a 50-round drum magazine sticking out of his pocket.
Will Publix throw you out if you open carry?
The sign is phrased as a strong preference, rather than a ban, and officials have not said what a store manager would do if the situation comes up.
But private businesses have the right to ask armed customers to leave, said Spencer Myers, a state policy attorney with Giffords Law Center, a gun control lobbying group.
“A sign like that is meant to be a deterrent, rather than something that, on its own, is fully carrying the force of law,” Myers said. “It’s likely that these signs are meant to serve as a deterrent to circumstances where a store owner would have to ask someone to leave and to, instead, deter them from creating that situation in the first place.”
What other stores ban open carry in Florida?
Publix poll: Changing open carry policy for firearms
What does open carry mean?
“Open carry” means you can publicly carry a legally owned firearm that is kept in plain sight or partially concealed, usually holstered.
Is open carry legal in Florida?
Yes. However, there is a lengthy list of sensitive locations such as police stations, courthouses, polling places, government meetings, athletic events, schools, bars and more where concealed weapons are not permitted.
Contributing: Suncoast Searchlight, a nonprofit newsroom of the Community News Collaborative serving Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties
C. A. Bridges is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida’s service journalism Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Florida news: Publix reportedly changes open carry policy again
Reporting by C. A. Bridges, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
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