Conceal carry bill passes Alabama House, moves to Senate

The Alabama Senate will take up House Bill 272, a proposal with changes to the practice of conceal carry of firearms in the state.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary will hear the bill that passed the House with a 67-33 vote on Tuesday. The committee has read the bill for the first time.

The legislation, according to the fiscal note, would revise certain restrictions regarding the carrying or possession of a pistol. It also would eliminate the process of obtaining a pistol permit to carry a concealed weapon.

The move could reduce revenue in several counties, according to the note, and would be dependent on the number of people that wouldn’t have to obtain the permits in the future, said Allen Treadway, chairman of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Carl Jones, chief operations officer for the Alabama Policy Institute, said the organization doesn’t see an issue with the bill.

“We are very much for Constitutional carry,” Jones said. “We think that is a Second Amendment right. The only opposition in the state is from the sheriff’s association. They are concerned about the loss of revenue from permits. I think some individuals have some concerns. We are supportive of it.

“We think the bill provides avenues most people would be concerned with. You could still get a permit issued if you do business across state lines. There are mechanisms in place to take care of that.”

Under existing law, conceal carry of a weapon is not permitted unless an individual has a permit. Also, if a person commits a crime with a weapon and does not have a permit it is considered evidence of intent to commit the crime.

The bill, if enacted, would repeal restrictions on carrying or possessing a firearm on certain property or in a vehicle by persons with or without a concealed pistol permit. It would also revise some restrictions for carrying on private property and adds courthouse annex to the locations where carrying a firearm is prohibited.

Under the bill, two- and four-year higher educational institutions would be permitted to adopt policies governing firearms on their property.

The Senate Committee on Judiciary is scheduled to meet at 1 p.m. March 2, but an agenda has yet to be posted.