Free Republic

LANSING, MI -- Michiganders would no longer need a concealed pistol license to carry a concealed pistol under legislation approved by the Michigan House of Representatives on Wednesday. House bills 4416 through 4419 strike the requirement that a Michigander have a license to carry a concealed weapons. People banned from possessing firearms would be banned from carrying them as well. The bills also reduce penalties for certain infractions relating to carrying a pistol without proper identification or disclosure as well. Rep. Michele Hoitenga, R-Manton, is a sponsor of one of the bills. She and other sponsors refer to the bills...

MADISON - People in Wisconsin would be able to carry concealed firearms without getting training or state permits, under a proposal debated by lawmakers Wednesday. The broad legislation would also allow some people to bring guns onto school grounds and lower the penalties on unauthorized people who are caught doing so. The bill by Sen. David Craig (R-Town of Vernon) and Rep. Mary Felzkowski (R-Irma) goes beyond the state’s 2011 law, which allows concealed weapons but reserves them for trained and licensed residents. Instead, Senate Bill 169 would make Wisconsin a “constitutional carry” state where qualifying people could pack firearms...

House Bill 1911 passed with a vote of 6-2 in the House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, allowing for the carry of handguns without a permit. Often called “Constitutional carry”, permitless carry is one of the eight priorities outlined by the Republican Party of Texas and is currently legal in fourteen states... HB 1911 will now move to the Calendars Committee where it will await scheduling for debate on the floor of the Texas House. Text of the legislation along with a record of actions taken can be found at www.capitol.state.tx.us.

 H. 3930, a Constitutional Carry bill is on the move in South Carolina. On March 9th, it passed the Judiciary Constitutional Laws Subcommittee.On 21 March, it passed the full committee with a vote of 15 to 7.  On Wednesday, April 5th, it passed the House. Last year a similar bill passed the House, but died in the Senate. From thepostandcourier.com: COLUMBIA — The South Carolina House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a bill that would allow residents to carry a gun, openly or concealed, without getting a weapons permit.The controversial bill passed the chamber 64-46 after more than three...

After New Hampshire enacted Constitutional Carry, similar bills are still under consideration and a chance in Alabama, Indiana, North Dakota, and South Carolina. The bill is still under consideration in South Dakota, but the governor in South Dakota has already indicated that he will veto the bill. As of right now, there is still a chance for 16 to 17 states having Constitutional Carry by the end of the year. Alabama: Will likely be voted on in the state Senate during the week of March 13th. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill, SB 24, with a 6-3 vote on March...

Two critical pieces of pro-gun rights legislation are coming up for a hearing in the House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee on Wednesday, March 8th at 10:15am: HF188: Constitutional Carry (also known as Permitless Carry) HF238: Defense of Person and Dwelling Act (also known in other states as "Stand your Ground") These are the two centerpieces of our 2017 legislative agenda --- and this year we have the best chance of passing them through the legislature because of the work that supporters like you did during the 2016 elections - by putting a pro-Second Amendment legislature in...

New Hampshire Enacts Constitutional Carry Constitutional carry continues to grow in popularity among states New Hampshire became the latest state to adopt a permitless concealed gun carry policy on Wednesday. Governor Chris Sununu (R., N.H.) signed the legislation that allows anyone in New Hampshire to legally carry a gun so long as they are legally allowed to possess a gun. The measure removes the permitting process that had previously been required for gun carry.

SB 7 is the Constitutional/Permitless carry bill in the Kentucky legislature for 2017.  It was moved to the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, & Public Protection committee.  The NRA-ILA is reporting that the bill has been removed from Senate consideration.  Unfortunately, the constitutional/permitless carry legislation, Senate Bill 7, has been pulled from consideration in the Kentucky Senate. SB 7, as with all modern Constitutional carry bills, leaves the permit system in place.  People who value the permit for state to state reciprocity, or as an alternate to NICS checks, will be able to use it for those purposes. Kentucky is one...

North Dakota is considering a permitless, or "Constitutional" carry bill. The sponsor is Representative Rick Becker (R-Bismarck).  The bill is HB 1169, and was heard in the House Energy & Natural Resources Committee. The vote in the committee is likely this week.  From Representative Becker's facebook page on January 26, 2017: We had a great hearing today for HB 1169, the constitutional carry bill. There were about 10 articulate, impassioned advocates speaking in favor, plus many more supporting in attendance. There were only 3 against, most of whom employed the oft-touted emotionalism that gun control advocates often do. Lawmakers,...

The New Hampshire legislature has passed permitless "Constitutional carry" both of the last two years. Both times the bill was vetoed by Democrat governor Maggie Hassan.  Now, early in the session, the New Hampshire Senate has passed SB 12-FN.  It had five Senators as sponsors, Senators Abard, Birdsell, Carson, Daniels, and Gannon.  It passed the Senate with a healthy 13 to 10 margin, defeating two attempts at amendment, on January 19, 2017. In 2016, the New Hampshire House passed the Constitutional carry bill 206 to 146. New Hampshire is bordered on the East by Maine and on the West...

With Missouri, West Virginia, and Idaho enacting Constitutional Carry laws last year, twelve states allow people to carry without a permit in all or virtually all their states. This includes Montana that allows people to carry in about 99.4% of the state. And 2017 is shaping up as a banner year for passing more of these laws. States that are about to pass these laws include: Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Tennessee is considering allowing “open carry” without a permit, though that is already quite common in most states. Other states that are considering this legislation,...

DALLAS - A state lawmaker from Bedford wants to make it legal for all Texans to pack a pistol, with or without a permit... He has authored House Bill 375, or the Constitutional Carry bill, to give all Texans the right to openly carry a handgun... “Right now what HB 375 is looking to do is make the CHL program right now optional for folks. We don’t think that Texans should have to take a required class or pay a fee to exercise their Second Amendment rights to defend themselves,” Strickland said... Stickland said criminals by nature do not obey...

Wisconsin has made incremental progress in restoring the right to keep and bear arms in the last few years.  Representative Jesse Kremer has been an active Second Amendment supporter in the legislature. He was re-elected in the 2016 presidential year.  The state has built on the Constitutional amendment passed in 1998, with 74% of the vote. The people have the right to keep and bear arms for security, defense, hunting, recreation or any other lawful purpose Representative Kremer seems to believe that the amendment, now Article 1, Section 25 of the Wisconsin state constitution, means what it says. Wisconsin...

Last session, it was open carry. This session, the statehouse may take on a further-reaching firearm debate: Constitutional carry. Rooted in the Constitution's Second Amendment, “constitutional carry” laws give any U.S. citizen the right to carry a firearm without a license — and is already permitted in 11 states and Puerto Rico. Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, hopes to add Texas to that list. "No Texan should have to pay a fee or take a class to exercise their right to bear arms,” said Stickland, in a statement. Stickland, whose reelection campaign motto is "More freedom, less government," has said permit-less...

South Dakota Representative Lynne DiSanto South Dakota will be considering a permitless, or "Constitutional" carry bill again this year.  In 2012, a bill passed both the House and the Senate, but was vetoed by Gov Daugaard.   In 2012, only Alaska, Arizona, Vermont and Wyoming had Constitutional carry.  In 2015, Constitutional carry passed the South Dakota House, but was killed by a Senate Committee.  It passed the House 44 to 23. The Senate was controlled by Republicans, 27 to 8. Now, in 2016, Constitutional carry is expected to be introduced by Representative Lynne DiSanto. From siouxcityjournal.com: PIERRE, S.D. —...

It’s now law. In Missouri, you no longer need a license to carry a firearm in public. They’re the 12th state to adopt such a law known as constitutional carry; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) represents a state with such a law. To those who love freedom and the Second Amendment, it’s a great day for the expansion of constitutional rights. For anti-gun liberals, it’s a day for hysterics, which wasperfectly captured by the editorial board of The New York Times: The measure has drawn no great national attention, but it certainly provides further evidence that gun safety cannot be...

Two Good Samaritans are being credited with saving a woman’s life after she was attacked by two suspected carjackers who hit her over the head after she left Walmart was putting her infant child into a car seat in the store parking lot in Shawnee, Kansas on Sunday. A bystander, who rushed to the aid of the woman after hearing her screams, was shot multiple times by one of the suspects, according to police. Another Good Samaritan saw what happened, got out of his car and shot one of the attackers dead. A shopper who had just exited the store...

On May 13, 2016, the Missouri legislature passed an omnibus gun legislation reform bill, SB 656.  It was the last day of the session.  While widely heralded as a permitless or "Constitutional" carry bill, there were several other notable features.  From the NRA-ILA: Recognize Missourians right to Constitutional/Permitless Carry where open carry is not prohibitedExpand Missouri’s current Stand your Ground laws Expand Castle Doctrine protections for anyone legally allowed into your home, vehicle, business and propertySpecify that except for credit card fees incurred, no additional fee beyond $100 may be charged to process concealed carry permits and allows military members...

The Missouri omnibus firearm reform bill, SB 656, has passed the legislature on the last day of the session, May 13, 2016. It includes permitless or “Constitutional” carry. It will now go to Governor Nixon for signature or veto. According to the NRA-ILA, SB 656 has these primary features: Recognize Missourians right to Constitutional/Permitless Carry where open carry is not prohibitedExpand Missouri’s current Stand your Ground lawsExpand Castle Doctrine protections for anyone legally allowed into your home, vehicle, business and propertySpecify that except for credit card fees incurred, no additional fee beyond $100 may be charged to process concealed...

Nearly two weeks ago, Ariel Draper started a petition on thepetitionsite.com to push Governor Phillip Bryant to veto Mississippi House Bill 786.  The goal of the petition was to get 1,000 signatures in support.  The petition had 3 signatures when the bill was signed into law today.  The petition used rather incendiary language.  From the petition: Mississippi House Bill 786 introduces legislation that would grant the following : To provide that killing a person while acting as a participant of a church or place of worship security team is JUSTIFIABLE homicide ; and for related purposes. Literally making a...