On Tuesday the Alabama Senate passed legislation to abolish the requirement that law-abiding citizens get a concealed carry permit in order to exercise their Second Amendment right to bear arms.
The legislation–Senate Bill 24–passed by a lopsided vote of 25 to 8.
According to the Associated Press, SB 24 was sponsored by state Senator Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), who said, “Every citizen should have the right to bear arms without paying a fee.”
Allen also pointed to the fact that Alabama already allows the open carry of handguns without a permit. He sees no justification for requiring a permit just because a person’s clothing covers an otherwise openly carried gun. He said, “We already allow open carry without a permit, and there is no logical reason for continuing to require a permit for concealed carry.”
SB 24 now goes to the Alabama House for consideration.
Last week, South Carolina’s House passed legislation to abolish the concealed carry permit requirement in that state. Following the vote, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) voiced his support for the legislation. The Charlotte Observer quoted McMaster’s spokesman, Brian Symmes, saying, “Governor McMaster appreciates the House’s hard work on this bill, believes it is constitutional and will sign it if it reaches his desk.”
Twelves states currently require no permit for exercising the Second Amendment right to bear arms: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia. Permitless carry is also the law of the land in 99.4 percent of Arkansas and Montana.
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.
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