Several weeks ago, legislation was filed in both the house and senate to change the way that the state of Alabama handles concealed carry permit licenses. The bill allows the state department of law enforcement rather than each of the 67 sheriffs offices to process concealed carry permits and allows for the creation of a lifetime permit.
Senator Randy Price and Representative Proncey Robertson filed HB 39 and SB 47 in their respective chambers. According to their press release at the time of the bills filing their legislation “will establish a cohesive and statewide management level process for administering and managing concealed weapons permits in the state of Alabama.”
When the bill was filed, Art Thomm the Alabama State Director of the NRA told Alabama Today, “The NRA strongly supports this streamlined permitting process. Not only would it bring much-needed 21st century technology to Alabama’s antiquated system, but it would be the first time law-abiding Alabamians were given the option for a lifetime concealed carry permit.”
Since then gun owners have raised questions about the law creating what gun owners call a defacto gun registry. A concern that both the House bill sponsor and NRA addressed.
In the House the bill has been read once and referred to the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
In the Senate the bill has been referred to the Judiciary Committee.
Adkins of the NRA said, “The NRA fully supports the Lifetime Carry Bill and will continue to activate our members and supporters to help win passage of this critical legislation.”