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The West Virginia legislature did not waste any time in overriding Governor Tomblin’s veto of HB 4145, also known as “Constitutional carry” or permitless carry.  Governor Tomblin vetoed a similar bill in 2015, but the veto occurred after the legislature had adjourned, making a veto override difficult.This year, 2016, the Constitutional carry bill was passed early enough for the legislature to vote on a veto override if necessary.  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...

As shown on the West Virginia legislative page, Governor Tomblin has vetoed the Constitutional carry bill for the second year in a row.  Last year, 2015, Governor Tomblin vetoed a Constitutional carry bill after the legislature had adjourned. Today, 3 March, 2016, another Constitutional carry bill, HB 4145 was recorded as vetoed. From state.wv.us: Vetoed H Vetoed by Governor 3/3/16 03/03/16 H Vetoed by Governor 3/3/16 – House Journal 03/03/16 S To Governor 2/26/16 – Senate Journal 02/27/16 The West Virginia legislature can override his veto with simple majorities in both houses.  From wv.us:Action by the Governor  After a...

The Tennessee legislature is in the process of reducing the administrative fees required to obtain a Tennessee handgun carry permit.  The current fees are $115.  It was discovered that only $77 was required to process the permit.From wgnsradio.com:On Tuesday, February 23, an “administration” bill was presented in the Senate Judiciary Committee that has the effect of cutting the existing handgun permit fees charged to Tennesseans by more than half over time. That bill, which is referenced as Senate Bill 2566, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee members on a 9-0 vote with no significant debate.John Harris, Executive Director...

The West Virginia Constitutional carry bill, HB 4145, has passed both the House and the Senate by wide, veto proof margins.  The House, 68-31, the Senate, 24-9.   The bill went to Governor Tomblin on the 26th of February.  According to West Virginia law, Governor Tomblin has five days to sign or veto the bill.  Last year, 2015, he did not receive the Constitutional carry bill until the last day of the session.  He was able to veto Constitutional carry after the legislature had adjourned, ensuring that his veto would not be overridden.  This year, 2016, Constitutional carry was passed...

The West Virginia Senate passed an amended HB 4145 on Monday, 22 February, 2016.  The bill is also called constitutional carry or permitless carry.  The bill passed with an overwhelming, veto proof margin of 24 to 9.From theintelligencer.net: People 21 years and older would be allowed to carry concealed guns in West Virginia without permits or training under a bill that passed the Senate on Monday. Senators voted 24-9 to approve the measure Monday. The bill requires at least one additional House vote before the Republican-led Legislature sends it to Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, who vetoed a similar...

Image from boiseweekly.com A large crowd of 700 people demonstrated for Constitutional carry at the Idaho Capitol on  February 20th.  Constitutional carry has been introduced for this session of the Idaho legislature.  The current version of the bills are HO422 and HO423.  Statement of purpose of HO422: This legislation would make Idaho a permitless carry state. Currently, permitless carry applies to all areas outside of city limits. This legislation specifies who may carry a concealed weapon without a permit. The bill also adds an age restriction for permitless carry to those 21 years or older. The concealed carry permitting statutes...

A virtual restoration of Constitutional carry was introduced to the Michigan legislature in 2015, but to my knowledge, it did not move.  This may have been because a scandal involving an extramarital affair involving the sponsor, Cindy Gamrat. Int 2016, Constitutional carry bills were introduced in the House, numbered 5301 to 5304.  From upnorthlive.com: "These bills simply place into law the Second Amendment rights of Michigan residents to bear arms without asking the government's permission to do so," Rep. Barrett said, sponsor of HB 5302. "The current concealed weapons permit amounts to nothing more than a state tax on...

Governor Herbert of Utah continues to be the main blocking force preventing the passage of Constitutional carry in Utah.  Utah is a gun friendly state.  There are open carry rights; the state constitution is strong.Utah Constitution, Art. I Section 6, enacted 1984: The individual right of the people to keep and bear arms for security and defense of self, family, others, property, or the state, as well as for other lawful purposes shall not be infringed; but nothing herein shall prevent the legislature from defining the lawful use of arms. Utah also has one of the lowest crime rates...

Knife Rights and Wisconsin Force worked together to pass a significant reform of antiquated knife laws in Wisconsin.  Wisconsin knife laws date back to the muckraker days, when the media was able to pass nonsensical laws based on "trendy", "progressive", emotional notions rather than on common sense, or any consideration for the the Constitution.  Wisconsin’s silly and dangerous switchblade ban dates to 1956.  It has been used to fine, convict and incarcerate hundreds, if not thousands of people who were only exercising their Second Amendment rights.In 1998, Wisconsin finally finished the arduous process to pass a right to keep and...

Last year, West Virginia came within a cats hair of enacting Constitutional carry into law.  The law passed with veto proof margins in the House and the Senate.  It was only through insider shenanigans that the bill was sent to Governor Tomblin late enough for him to veto it without a chance for a veto override.  From wvgazettemail.com: Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a similar bill last year, by a 32-2 margin in the Senate and 71-29 in the House. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed the bill, citing "overwhelming opposition" from law enforcement officers statewide."In light of those concerns, and in...

On Tuesday, January 19, state Representative Saira Blair introduced House Bill 4145, legislation that would allow a law-abiding individual, who is 21 years of age or older, to lawfully carry a concealed handgun for self-defense without needing to first obtain a government-issued permit. HB 4145 also addresses a current deficiency in state law that prohibits an individual who is between the ages of 18 and 21 from obtaining a concealed weapon permit. HB 4145 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Under the provisions of House Bill 4145, an individual who is over the age of 21, a citizen...

Speaker of the House Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said Thursday he will deploy a secret gun committee to vet a bill that would allow Idahoans to conceal firearms without a permit. Bedke, speaking to reporters at a briefing ahead of next week’s legislative session kick-off, offered tepid support for permitless concealed carry. “I would be supportive [of permitless carry] in concept,” Bedke told reporters. Two House Republican caucus members, freshman Reps. Ron Nate of Rexburg and Heather Scott of Blanchard, announced this week they will introduce a permitless carry bill in the upcoming session’s first two weeks. That announcement included quotes...

When Governor Brownback signed the constitutional carry bill on the second of April this year, the disarmists predicted blood in the streets, just like a broken record.  Fortunately, those predictions have proved wrong, as they have, time and time again.   The law went into effect two weeks ago on July first.  Now we have one of he first fruits of the law.   A young man, carrying a pistol without a permit, foiled the robbery attempt of an Academy sporting goods store.   Many would say that robbing a gun shop is a really stupid idea, and it shows in this...

For a late Independence Day present to patriots, Governor Paul Le Page signed LD 652, the Maine constitutional carry bill.   The law will go into effect 90 days after the legislature adjourns.  The bill was signed this today, July 8th, 2015, in a ceremony that was closed to the press.  I received notice from the press secretary, Adrienne Bennett, that the bill was signed about noon, central time.   Further confirmation comes from wmtw.com: AUGUSTA, Maine —Maine Gov. Paul LePage has signed a bill that will allow residents to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a permit. Maine will become...

Maine is moving toward constitutional or permitless carry.  It is not a large step for Maine, which has a fairly liberal concealed carry law and constitutional open carry.   The bill, LD 652 need only be signed by the Governor to become law, and it seems likely that Governor Le Page will sign it.  But that does not stop a Maine disarmist from complaining.  From centralmain.com: "And there is no good I can see in having anyone carry concealed guns without permits, training, background checks and minimum age requirements." So it all comes down to a lack of imagination on...

LD 652/SP 245, known as the constitutional carry bill, has been passed out of the special appropriations table, been  approved of in the Senate (again) by a 23 to 12 vote, and will now go to Governor Paul Le Page for signature or veto.   It does not appear that the legislature will be in session for three consecutive days in July, so if Governor Le Page does not sign the bill, it will not become law. Governor Le Page said that he would not sign the bill if it required Maine residents under the age of 21, on active...

On 4 June, 2015, LD 652, the Maine constitutional carry bill passed the House, with the amendment required to meet Governor Paul Le Page's demand that 18-20 year old veterans not be required to have a permit to carry.  It was sent to the Senate for concurrence.  The Senate immediately concurred, and second amendment supporters believed that the bill would be sent to Governor Le Page for signature and enactment into law.  The last action on the bill was on June 4th.  From mainelegislature.org: 6/4/2015 House PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH. 6/4/2015 Senate On...

Act 746 went into effect in 2013.  The law was clear at the time, and is clear now.  The Democrat Attorney General when the law went into effect, Dustin McDaniel, expressed an opinion about the law which seemed designed to cause confusion about the issue.   In the opinion, former AG McDaniel simply ignores the most important change in the law.    Here is the relevant section, ignored by McDaniel: 5-73-120. Carrying a weapon.(a) A person commits the offense of carrying a weapon if he or she possesses a handgun, knife, or club on or about his or her person, in...

 LD 652 (SP 245), "An Act To Authorize the Carrying of Concealed Handguns without a Permit"  passed  the Senate, 23-12, last Friday. Today, 1 June, the Maine House  passed a lightly amended Constitutional Carry bill, 83-62.  The House added two amendments to the bill.   From pressherald.com: More votes are required in the Senate before the bill moves forward, for procedural reasons and because the House adopted two amendments to the bill. One would require anyone under age 21 to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The other would require a person carrying a concealed gun to tell...

The Maine House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a bill to allow citizens to carry concealed weapons without a permit. L.D. 652, which would eliminate the permitting requirement to carry a concealed weapon (and also permit people to carry a weapon in a car), passed with bipartisan support in a 83-62 vote. The bill passed through the Senate on May 28. Gov. Paul LePage has indicated that he will sign the bill into law. Maine, a "shall-issue" state, has issued over 36,000 concealed weapons permits, including permits to out-of-state residents. Maine has exceptionally low crime rates, and a relatively high...