The Alabama Political Reporter published a news piece recently that the Alabama Senate will consider an agenda to protect Second Amendment rights.
The Alabama Senate Republican Caucus is a group of conservative Alabama lawmakers. The group released a statement that said, “Permit-less Carry? Ten states across the country allow their citizens to carry guns without a permit, and Senate Republicans believe Alabamians should have a similarly unimpeded right to protect their families and property. Therefore, a repeal of the requirement for a conceal carry permit shall be a priority in the 2017 Session. Alabamians could still apply for a pistol permit in order to carry a gun in states like Mississippi, Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida that have reciprocity laws with Alabama. A pistol permit holder would also retain the benefit of foregoing a background check when purchasing firearms.”
A Republican from Tuscaloosa, Senator Gerald Allen, is sponsoring the legislation to allow Alabama gun owners the right to carry their handguns concealed with them at all times. In Alabama, open carry is legal everywhere except in their vehicle, even without a permit. Currently, if the gun holder does not have a concealed carry permit, Alabama law states that the gun must be unloaded, locked in a box, and out of reach. Long guns are legal to have in vehicles.
Allen sponsored a bill in 2016 which would have permitted loaded guns in a vehicle without a permit, that failed. That law failed because the fees raised from permits are important to the sheriff’s office budget.
The Alabama Senate Republican Caucus includes this item on their “Alabama Proud” agenda that they will work on in the 2017 legislative session. Other issues they say they are tackling include cracking down on Medicaid fraud, tax reform, banning assisted suicide, and protecting religious rights for children.
