Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- Constitutional Carry is on the move in Alabama. Senate Bill 3 would eliminate the need for a carry permit for law-abiding adults.
Senate bill 3, sponsored by senator Gerald Allen, would repeal the permit requirement for the carrying of firearms.
It would allow any law-abiding adult who can legally possess a firearm to carry a handgun for self-defense in Alabama without having to first obtain a permit to do so.
The NRA-ILA confirms the essence of the bill. It does not eliminate the shall issue permit system that is now in place. Alabamians would still be able to obtain permits for reciprocity with other states.
Alabamians would still be able to obtain a carry permit as an alternative to the NICS instant check system.
Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Senator Gerald Allen (R-21), would repeal the permit requirement for the carrying of firearms. This important legislation would allow any law-abiding adult who can legally possess a firearm to carry a handgun for self-defense in Alabama without having to first obtain a permit to do so. This legislation would allow law-abiding adults in Alabama to carry in a manner that best suits their needs and improves their ability to defend themselves and their loved ones from danger.
In essence SB 3 would put into law what Alabamians overwhelmingly voted for in Amendment 3 of the Alabama Constitution. Amendment 3 passed with 72.5% of the vote in 2014. Amendment 3 protected the exercise of the right to keep and bear arms in Alabama with strong language.
Arms may be carried in only two ways, openly or concealed. Requiring a permit for concealed carry is clearly a restriction on the right to bear arms. SB 3 is the legislature enforcing the Constitutional amendment with statutory reform. Here is a description of Amendment 3.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of Alabama of 1901, to provide that every citizen has a fundamental right to bear arms and that any restriction on this right would be subject to strict scrutiny; and to provide that no international treaty or law shall prohibit, limit, or otherwise interfere with a citizen’s fundamental right to bear arms.
In 2017, three years after Amendment 3 was made part of the Alabama Constitution, the Alabama Senate passed Constitutional Carry 26-8. The bill died after some law enforcement agencies spoke out against it. At l
A year ago, Senator Allen vowed to keep sponsoring the bill until it passes.
“It’s time we give our citizens the right to bear arms without first seeking the government’s permission,” Allen said.
Alabama already allows people to openly carry a holstered pistol without a permit. Allen said there is no logical reason to continue the permit requirement for carrying a concealed pistol.
Alabama has a short legislative session. This is done deliberately, to limit the damage a legislature can accomplish. The legislature convened on 9 January. The regular session will end on 23 April, 2018. That is only three and a half months to pass bills.
There are 13 current members of the Constitutional Carry Club. They are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia.
Vermont was the only Constitutional Carry state until 2003 when Alaska passed its modernization bill. Arizona was next, in 2010. Since 2010, ten more states have modernized state law to reflect respect for the exercise of the Second Amendment.
2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30-year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
I feel that constitutional carry in the state of Alabama should be a must we already have the open carry law so why should we have to pay like Dean says to conceal carry .what is really the difference if more States would come along with constitutional carry and more people did so I do believe it would be a whole lot less crime. and we do have a right to defend our family ourselves and our neighbors if need be why should some politician be the one says we can’t. the Constitution already gives us this right to bear… Read more »
If All but a handful of states in the country go in the direction of Constitutional Carry; it doesn’t SAY as much as passing National Conceal Carry Reciprocity! The this law makes a statement to the liberal states!
“From ballotpedia” Left us hanging.
“The bill died after some law enforcement agencies spoke out against it. At l”
Which law enforcement agencies? Political appointed left wing police commissioners and chief of departments (similar to that creep del Pozo in Burlington Vermont who fancies himself a great philosopher and rejects Reciprocity)? Or Sheriff’s who can be voted out of office?
And don’t forget the Alabama Sheriff’s Association who are against it as well, the County Sheriff’s are the ones responsible for issuing conceal carry permits, follow the money.
Proceeds from concealed carry permits go to the Sheriff’s “fund” – basically a slush fund. That, in itself, is reason why “some law enforcement” objected.
My hope for the remaining 38 states is they all adapt Constitutional carry, through their states constitutions.
Once there was only one state and always,Vermont,enjoying the Liberty the founders intended.
National Conceal Carry Reciprocity needs to pass because the liberal states will not change on their own accord!
I live in Ca. Ca has 58 counties of which 45 issue often; but, the remaining 13 urban largely liberal counties don’t & won’t! We’ve got near perfect weather; but, some don’t think straight!