Vetoes of Constitutional Carry by Anti-2nd Amendment Governors, Can’t Stop this Train

U.S.A.-(AmmoLand.com)-— A governor’s veto of a Constitutional Carry bill is a setback for Second Amendment supporters and Constitutionalists.

A veto is also a signal the hard work of education has mostly been successful. How else would pro 2A bills reach anti-gun Governors’ desks?

The Constitutional Carry movement was a dream in the thoughts of Second Amendment and Constitutional activists at the turn of the millennia.  Today, half of the United States are members of the Constitutional Carry (permitless) club.

During the last eleven years, there have been several governors who vetoed Constitutional Carry bills.

This correspondent found 14 vetoes of Constitutional Carry bills. Nine of the vetoes were by Democrats, five were by Republicans.



Two vetoes of Democrat governors were overridden. No Republican vetoes were overridden.

All states where Constitutional Carry bills were vetoed before 2021 have gone on to pass a Constitutional Carry (permitless) bill into law.

Here is a summation of the vetoes, which governors vetoed Constitutional Carry bills, and which Governors signed Constitutional Carry bills later.

Montana Governors Schweitzer (D) and Bullock (D) vetoed Constitutional Carry three times.

  • In 2011, Democrat governor Brian Schweitzer vetoed Constitutional Carry bill HB 271. The legislature did not override the veto.
  • In 2015, Democrat governor Steve Bullock vetoed Constitutional Carry bill HB 298.
  • In 2017, Governor Bullock vetoed Constitutional Carry bill HB 262.

Montana passed Constitutional Carry in 2021. Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed it on February 18.

West Virginia Democrat Governor Tomblin, vetoed Constitutional Carry in 2015, veto. He vetoed a similar bill in 2016, which the legislature overrode in 2016.

Governor Tomblin received the Constitutional carry bill on 26 February.  He waited to the last possible day to veto it, 3 March.

The House of Delegates overrode his veto on 4 March, and the Senate completed the override on 5 March, 2016.  From state.wv.us:

New Hampshire Democrat Governor Hassan vetoed constitutional carry bills twice, in 2015 and 2016.  From concordmonitor.com:

Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan has vetoed a bill to remove the licensing requirement for carrying concealed guns as expected.

Hassan vetoed a similar bill last year, but Republicans have once again sent the measure to her desk. Hassan is facing off against Republican U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte in one of the country’s most competitive Senate contests.

Constitutional Carry Veto & Passage Analysis:

When a Constitutional Carry bill is vetoed, it shows a majority of the legislature and leadership has been willing to go on record to support the bill. They believe support will gain them more votes than they will lose. Even if they do not wish the bill to pass, this dynamic makes it very hard for them to resist passing the bill as they go forward. It is worthwhile to push for the restoration of Second Amendment rights, even if the bill will be vetoed.

As more and more states have joined the Constitutional Carry club, the momentum for passing bills to restore Second Amendment rights grows and grows. Part of this is pure pragmatism: no ill effects have been shown to exist from the restoration of Second Amendment rights.

(Excepting various pseudo-scholarship using statistics to deceive)

Part of it is the persistent efforts of Second Amendment activists. Much of it is the education of legislators and peace officers, as they experience the lack of problems with the restoration of Second Amendment rights.

Vetoed bills are treasure troves of useful information about which legislators can be trusted; which ones are sympathetic; which ones can be pressured; which ones can be cajoled and horse traded with.

Both Pennsylvania and Louisiana are likely to pass Constitutional Carry bills in the next two years.  It will depend on what happens with the governors in those two states.


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 retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.

Dean Weingarten

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MICHAEL J

Well, at least some states have the ability to overcome vetos. Here in the socialist state of California, democrats have veto proof communist rule.

Russn8r

Thank deluge “cheap labor” immigration, invasion-occupation, anchor-Democrat fast-breeding, term limits since 1990, and NRA grifters sucking $Billions out of the state that should’ve been used to prevent it.

Laddyboy

Q@MJ: Ditto for Queen Mary’s Land. Maryland, the UN-FREE DemoKKKrat ran State.

Tionico

time to pull the chain and flush the bowl. But not enough Californains have experienced a high enough evel of pain to rise up and do so. The stench must get much worse before “intolerance” is reached. How much jope doo I have this will happen wihtin my lfietime? I’ve got NO plans to ever return to that hole of a state to live there again, and only very rarely, dragged kicking and screaming all the way over the Siskiyu passes, to even visit.

SkippingDog

Republicans in California must first find sane candidates. They won’t be found on boards like this.

james

If possible, this needs to be put on the ballot so the citizens can decide.

Boz

The finaI ‘vote’ may be decided with Iead.

swmft

I kind of feal that coming, a precinct with more ballots cast than there are voters (Arizona had two that way) and a federal judge saying you cant audit to find problem (sound familiar?)

Tionico

No, this issue will not depend on a popular vote at all. What may well happen is that in any given state or county, enough folks will simply decide the risks taken by (illegally) carrying a concealed handgun upon their persons is far less than the risk they take by NOT being armed as tney go about their daily business. I have carried for fifteen years in my state (full sized pistol, concealed) and been “made” only twice, both times by private citizens who noticed when my shrttail rose up and sidled up to me and quietly said “better no… Read more »

SkippingDog

Tough guy talk. LOL.

john

Democrats who get elected always follow party guidelines until they become challenged in upcoming elections. Then they lie like a old rug worn out ready for the trash.

Wass

If for nothing else, the wave of states enacting Constitutional Carry seems to demonstrate that the core of America supports civilian gun rights, despite herculean efforts by antis and their billionaire bankrollers. But for those residing in the highly restricted states, Constitutional Carry most likely will never occur (at least not from within the states). For them just enacting “shall issue” would be a satisfactory benchmark for gun rights. If shall issue becomes attainable,through a favorable ruling from SCOTUS, then some time afterwards would be an appropriate time for lobbying for Constitutional Carry for other states.