Kentucky senate forwarding this up the chain.
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There is a poll at the local tv news station. I think it is poorly worded and that could have been intentionally though they have only recently started a left slant, but so far, there are more people who think you shouldn't have to have a license to carry. You're welcome to vote in the poll too.
https://www.wymt.com/
PRESTONSBURG, Ky. (WYMT/AP) - Constitutional carry, or permitless carry; it means law-abiding people who are a certain age are allowed to carry a firearm concealed without a permit.
While that is not the law in Kentucky, it soon could be.
Senate Bill 150 was introduced Thursday. Its sponsor is Senator Brandon Smith from Hazard.
You are not charged for freedom of speech or freedom of religion. So why are you charged for something the second amendment should protect? That is how firearms instructors see Senate Bill 150.
"Same thing with freedom of religion, freedom of speech. This is going that step and giving it back to the people, saying, 'ok, this is something that you were granted originally. We've been charging for it or withholding it. Here it is. This is having something back'", said Ron Thompson, who is the manager of Copperhead Guns and Range in Prestonsburg.
Law abiding Kentuckians 21 and older are already allowed to open carry without a permit. Lawmakers who support the bill argue if your jacket or shirt covers your gun and you do not have a permit, you are now breaking the law.
"It's kind of insane to think of that, you know, a shirt falling over a firearm can give you some kind of a conviction or have you arrested", said Thompson. "It's sort of insane."
Thompson says gun laws are different in every state and trying to learn them all on your own can be difficult.
That's why he thinks gun owners should still consider concealed carry classes even if the bill passes.
"The class is to inform what state law does allow. Say a post office, for example, might seem innocent", said Thompson. "You can't walk into a post office with a firearm on you. A lot of people don't realize that."
And while many argue it's a right, Thompson adds it is something we can exercise safely and responsibly.
"The concealed carry classes don't necessarily teach you to shoot or anything like that, but it teaches you state law, state guidelines, things you need to know and be aware of if you're going to carry a firearm and be a responsible gun owner", Thompson said.
Senate Bill 150 passed the Senate Thursday and how heads to the House for a vote.
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The Latest on legislative action on a Kentucky bill to allow people to carry a concealed gun without a permit or training (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
The Kentucky Senate has passed a bill that would allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or training.
The measure, backed by the National Rifle Association, cleared the Senate on a 29-8 vote on Thursday, a few hours after a committee advanced it. The bill now goes to the House.
Senators who voted against the bill raised concerns about removing gun training as a condition for Kentuckians to carry concealed weapons. They framed it as a safety issue.
Supporters say Kentuckians already can carry weapons openly without a license or training. But if they conceal that weapon under a coat, they're breaking the law without a carry conceal permit. They say the bill would remedy that.
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1:25 p.m.
A bill that would allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or training has been advanced by a Senate committee in Kentucky.
The measure is backed by the powerful National Rifle Association.
The committee action Thursday coincided with the first anniversary of a Florida shooting that killed 17 students and staff members.
A critic of the bill, Connie Coartney, said Kentucky lawmakers marked the anniversary by advancing "more dangerous gun legislation and doing the bidding" for the NRA. She is with the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Supporters say people already can carry weapons openly without training.
Sen. Brandon Smith, the bill's sponsor, said it's not fair that someone now needs a permit if they carry a gun under a coat.
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The legislation is Senate Bill 150.
https://www.wymt.com/content/news/C...te-Bill-150-could-mean-for-you-505870241.html