Lawmakers in Texas, Indiana, and South Dakota are in a race to make their respective state the 13th state to abolish a concealed carry permit requirement.
The push is being sponsored by Republicans in every instance, all of whom are pushing to recognize the Second Amendment as a sufficient concealed carry permit in and of itself.
In Texas, the push is being spearheaded by state representative Jonathan Stickland (R-92nd) via HB 375. The text of HB 375 is clear: “Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing a firearm shall not be required to obtain any license to carry a handgun as a condition for carrying a handgun.”
In Indiana, the push to abolish a concealed carry permit requirement is being sponsored by Jim Lucas (R-Seymour). CBS 4 reports Lucas’ belief that it is “immoral” to require law-abiding citizens to get a concealed carry permit before being allowed to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms. And he equates a permit requirement with criminalizing law-abiding citizens in that it “[forces] an innocent person to jump through hoops and pay money to the state to prove their innocence and exercise a constitutional right.”
In South Dakota, the permitless carry effort is being led by state representative Lynne DiSanto (R-35th). She believes permitless carry is the kind of carry “the Constitution intended.” According to the Associated Press, DiSanto has the practical hope that removing the permitting cost and hassle will make it easier for South Dakota residents to keep and carry gun for defense of themselves and their families.
Twelve states currently recognize permitless carry: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia. It should be noted that there are certain parts of Arkansas and Montana where a permit is required, but the vast portion of both states–99.4 percent, according to Gun Owners of America–is permitless.
Four states adopted permitless carry in 2016. Those states: Idaho, Mississippi, Missouri, and West Virginia.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.