Governor Matt Bevin Eliminates Concealed Permit Requirement in Kentucky

On Monday Gov. Matt Bevin (R) signed legislation making the Second Amendment the only concealed carry permit needed in Kentucky.

Bevin signed Senate Bill 150 into law, making Kentucky the 16th state to eliminate any requirement that law-abiding citizens get government documentation before exercising their right to bear arms for self-defense.

The other 15 states that have eliminated their permit requirement are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wyoming, and Vermont.

SB 150 passed the Kentucky Senate in mid-February, and the Kentucky House followed suit on March 1. On March 5, Cincinnati Public Radio quoted Bevin saying, “Heck I’ve been an advocate for this since long before it ever made its way through the legislature. It will be signed and I’m sure it will be signed here in the rotunda and I’m sure it will be done to great celebration of many in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.”

Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA), praised Bevin for signing SB 150, saying, “On behalf of the NRA’s five million members, we would like to thank Governor Bevin for his leadership on this critical issue. This law is a common sense measure that allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right of self-protection in the manner that best suits their needs.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.