Bills to lower the minimum concealed carry age from 21 to 18 are on the move in Kansas and Idaho.
The Associated Press reports the Kansas House voted 83-41 to lower the minimum concealed carry age to 18. A difference would still remain between 18 and 21 year-olds in that the former would require a concealed permit to carry while residents 21 and older are free to carry with or without a license.
Idaho lawmakers are also considering lowering the minimum carry age to 18. The state already allows 18 year-olds to carry outside city limits but the Idaho Statesman reports that state lawmakers are currently considering legislation to lower the legal carry age to 18 inside city limits as well.
The the Idaho House passed the legislation on March 14 and the Senate State Affairs Committee voted in favor of it this week.
Rep. Christy Zito (R- Hammett) co-sponsored the legislation to lower the age. She said:
Currently in the state of Idaho, those young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 can carry a handgun open anywhere in the state of Idaho. They can carry conceal anywhere in the state of Idaho except in the city limits. What we propose to do is to remove that caveat, so that young adults will be able to carry open or concealed everywhere in the entire state of Idaho.
Moms Demand Action’s Elana Story spoke against the bill.
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.