Staff Reports
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has stepped into a mess that should never have been made. He filed suit against the city of Jacksonville over an alleged secret registry of people who legally carried guns into city buildings. If true, this is not just sloppy paperwork — it is a dangerous habit of treating law-abiding citizens like suspects.
The lawsuit and the alleged gun registry
The complaint says Jacksonville had been compiling information on people who brought guns into two city buildings, and that two binders of logs were found. Councilman Nick Howland says the logs date back to July 2023. The State Attorney’s Office reportedly concluded the registry was illegal but declined criminal penalties. That didn’t sit well with Attorney General Uthmeier, who is suing the city for $5 million and promising to use the full power of his office to protect the Second Amendment.
How local officials responded — and failed
According to reporting, the gun-log policy was approved by the city’s former Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Charles Moreland — a position tied to the Mayor’s Office. So we’re asked to believe a bureaucrat quietly approved a system that tracked armed visitors, then someone tucked the logs away in binders. If true, this is classic government overreach dressed up as “security.” It smells of secrecy and weakness: secrecy because citizens weren’t told their movements and lawful behavior were being recorded, and weakness because officials chose a paper trail instead of clarity and accountability.
Why this matters for gun rights and privacy
This lawsuit is about more than two binders. It’s about whether government will respect constitutional rights or treat them as permissions to be monitored. A registry of lawful gun carriers chills free exercise of the Second Amendment and threatens privacy. Today it’s two city buildings. Tomorrow it could be all public buildings, or worse, shared with databases used for political or bureaucratic ends. Floridians should be alarmed whenever government starts treating rights like privileges that require a permanent file.
What should happen next
Uthmeier did the right thing by suing and asking for a judgment and remedies. The city must release the full records, identify who approved and maintained the logs, and face real consequences if laws were broken. Elected leaders should demand a transparent audit and change the policies that let this happen. Voters should also remember this when they choose who runs city hall. Government that loves paper trails more than the Constitution needs to be reminded which comes first.
