Alabama won’t require background checks for concealed guns
Alabama will become the latest state to allow people to carry concealed handguns without first undergoing a background check and getting a state permit. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey signed the measure into law Thursday shortly after it was approved by state lawmakers. The new law, which takes effect January 1, will end the requirement for a person to get a concealed carry permit to carry a loaded handgun concealed under their clothes, in a car, or in a purse or bag. “Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law-abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights. I have always stood up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners, and I am proud to do that again today,” Ivey said in a statement. The legislation is championed by gun rights advocates who call it “constitutional carry,” in reference to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Opponents, including state sheriffs and others in law enforcement, said the permits help combat crime and enhance public safety. Paula Wilson, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action, called the legislation “reckless” and said the politicians who supported it “have chosen the gun lobby over law enforcement and public safety.” “They want you to believe that they’re standing up for law-abiding gun owners, but don’t let them fool you. They’ve done the exact opposite — putting our families, communities, and first responders at greater risk,” Wilson said in a statement. There are 21 states that allow concealed weapons in public without a permit. The Alabama House of Representatives voted 70-29 for the bill approved by a conference committee. The Alabama Senate voted 24-6. “I don’t think that just because you own a firearm that you should have to pay a tax, or a fee, to carry it,” GOP Rep. Shane Stringer, the legislation’s sponsor, said. The bill does not do away with concealed carry permits, and Stringer said he thinks many people will still get them voluntarily. “You are making it easier for the lawless,” Rep. Thomas Jackson, a Democrat from Thomasville, told Stringer during the debate. Opponents have pointed to the state’s already high rate of gun violence. Alabama in 2020 had the country’s fifth-highest rate of gun-related deaths – including suicides and murders — with 1,141 deaths, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Alabama Sheriffs’ Association opposed the bill. During public hearings, law enforcement officials said the permits are a tool officers use daily to remove weapons from the hands of individuals who should not have them in the first place. A new state database is under development to help officers flag people who are prohibited from possessing a handgun. Stringer, a former captain in the Mobile County sheriff’s department, said he believes that will be a better system to catch people who should not have handguns. The president of the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association has said he does not think the database will effectively replace the safety checks provided by the permits because of inevitable gaps in data collection. Lawmakers made several changes to the bill to try to alleviate some of law enforcement’s concerns. During a traffic stop or other investigation, an officer who has a reasonable suspicion that a person was about to engage in criminal conduct could temporarily take a handgun and run it through databases to see if the gun was stolen. The officer could also check the person’s criminal history. An officer could also temporarily take a weapon if a reasonable person would believe it is necessary for the safety of the officer or others, but it must be returned unless there is an arrest or the person is posing a safety threat. The legislation would steer up to $5 million in state funds to sheriffs’ offices to compensate for the funding loss from permit fees. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
House GOP backs end of handgun permit requirement
Republicans in the Alabama House of Representatives said Wednesday that abolishing the permit requirement to carry a concealed handgun will be among their top priorities in the upcoming legislative session. The Alabama House Republican Caucus announced a legislative agenda that includes the so-called “constitutional carry” legislation that does away with the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public. The backing increases the chances of approval for the proposal that has failed for several years in Montgomery under opposition from state sheriffs. The House GOP agenda for the final session before May primaries also includes anti-critical race theory legislation, the creation of a felony crime for assaulting a first-responder and pay raises for state employees and teachers. Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronnelle, introduced legislation to do away with the requirement to get a permit — which requires a person to undergo a background check — to carry a concealed handgun in public or a loaded handgun in their car. “I am a firm believer that law-abiding citizens should not be punished and forced to get a permit to carry a firearm when the criminal element is not,” Stringer said. Similar legislation has been introduced in Montgomery for the last five years. State sheriffs and other law enforcement officials have opposed the bills, arguing that the permits provide a crucial tool to combat crime and enhance public safety. “There are those who do not need to be carrying concealed weapons in our restaurants, clubs, and sports bars,” Mobile County Sheriff Sam Cochran told the Mobile County Commission last month, according to al.com. “The biggest thing is safety of our citizens and officers.” A telephone message left with the Alabama Sheriffs Association was not immediately returned. Stringer, a former captain with the Mobile County sheriff’s office, said the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is developing a database, authorized by a state law creating a lifetime concealed carry permit option, that should flag people not legally entitled to carry a handgun. The proposal drew condemnation from a gun safety group. “I don’t understand how these lawmakers can claim to support law enforcement in one breath, and then, in the next, push an extremist policy like permitless carry that law enforcement has clearly and vehemently spoken out against,” said Paula Wilson, a volunteer with the Alabama chapter of Moms Demand Action. “If this bill passes, there’ll be more unvetted people carrying concealed, loaded handguns in public places with no training and no questions asked,” Wilson said. This is the first year House Republicans put the item on their session agenda. Stringer said the authorization of the database has eased opposition to the bill among some GOP lawmakers. The lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association says 20 states do not require such permits. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also said Wednesday he will push for a new state law that will loosen requirements to carry a handgun in public in that state. State Sen. Gerald Allen, who introduced similar legislation unsuccessfully for at least five years, said this might be the year it succeeds. “You should not have to pay a fee to fulfill your constitutional right — for the right to protect your life, your family, your property,” Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, said. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
