Legislation to strike permit requirements has passed in Montana and New Hampshire and is gaining momentum in Kentucky and South Dakota.
NRA-ILA reports that Kentucky state Senator Robin Webb (D-18) put forth an amendment on February 22 which will effectively combine two different permitless carry bills–conforming Senate Bill 7 to House Bill 316–thereby streamlining the process of passage in order to end the burdensome requirement of seeking out government’s permission to carry a gun for self-defense.
And on Friday the South Dakota House passed permitless carry legislation by a vote of 37-30. The bill–HB 1072–is sponsored by Representative Lynne DiSanto (R-35).
DiSanto believes a permitting system inhibits the exercise of Second Amendment rights by placing the government between the citizen and the exercise of such rights. She told the Associated Press that abolishing the permit requirement will allow South Dakota residents to carry arms “the way the Constitution intended” and she hopes it will result in expanded gun ownership as well.
A measure to strike any requirement for a carry permit in Montana was vetoed by Democrat Governor Steve Bullock last week while The Washington Post reported New Hampshire’s permitless carry legislation was signed into law by Republican Governor John Sununu. The New Hampshire legislation was sponsored by state Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley (R), who said, “We have historically allowed people to openly carry a pistol. I don’t see why you have to get a second permit if you’re a law-abiding citizen and legally entitled to own a gun.”
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.