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Alabama has become the latest state to allow people to carry a concealed firearm without a permit that requires a background check.
The new state law went into effect on New Year’s Day and ended the requirement that legal gun owners obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon in public. A person can still choose to get a permit if he wants to.
The proposal had been unsuccessfully introduced for a decade in Montgomery, before winning approval this year over opposition from the Alabama Sheriffs Association.
The legislation was championed by gun rights advocates, who call it “constitutional carry,” referring to the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
A law that went into effect Sunday makes Alabama the 26th state to allow legal gun owners to carry concealed firearms without obtaining a permit.
Opponents, including state sheriffs and other law enforcement, argued that the permits help fight crime and improve public safety.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the legislation into law almost immediately after it was passed in March and highlighted her support in his re-election campaign.
The ad showed the governor sitting at her desk in the Alabama Capitol and pulling a small pistol out of her bag, along with lipstick and a cell phone.
According to the US Concealed Carry Association, including Alabama, there are now 26 US states that allow concealed carry without a permit.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, signed the legislation into law almost immediately.
“It’s going to go a long way in helping the average law-abiding citizen avoid having to jump through hoops to get a permit to carry their guns,” said Rep. Shane Stringer, a sponsor of the legislation.
Stringer noted that the law only affects the permit requirement. ‘It’s not going to change who can and can’t carry a gun. People who are now banned are still banned.
The Alabama Sheriffs Association had opposed the legislation, saying the permit process is an important safeguard. Sheriff’s offices also make money from fees by issuing permits to carry.
“Alabama sheriffs are clear that the law will go into effect on January 1 and have adjusted accordingly,” said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, president of the Alabama Sheriffs Association.
Jones and Stringer said there are still reasons a person might consider getting a permit.
Jones said, ‘It’s prudent to keep an Alabama concealed carry permit when traveling out of state; reciprocity applies: other states may require non-residents to have a permit from their state of residence.’
Stringer said that people should remember that there are still places where guns are totally prohibited for security reasons, such as courthouses, schools and other government buildings.
Alabama lawmakers, under pressure from gun rights enthusiasts, approved the measure during the last legislative session.
Republican lawmakers who previously opposed the legislation said they felt more comfortable voting for it this time around because the state was developing a “banned persons” database to help officers identify people who are barred from owning a car. firearm due to his criminal record and other reasons.
A custom gun and bow shop is seen across the street from the Mercedes Drive Church of Christ in Vance, Alabama, in a file photo.
The database was mandated by an earlier state law that created an option to obtain a lifetime concealed carry permit.
Stringer, a former deputy sheriff and former head of the Satsuma Police Department, said the database was a big factor in his decision to sponsor the bill.
Supporters of the bill argued that there will be a better system for taking guns away from people who can’t legally own them. Opponents argued that the database will only be as good as the data that goes into it and that data breaches will be inevitable.
Hal Taylor, head of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, sent Ivey a memo on September 30 saying the database had been developed as required by state law.
“Whether issuing a routine traffic citation or investigating criminal activity, all officers using the Tactical Law Enforcement System can now receive instant notice of a person’s ineligibility to possess a firearm,” he wrote. Taylor in the memo.
Lawmakers included language in the new law that reiterates an officer’s ability to temporarily take a firearm during a traffic stop or other investigation.
An officer with reasonable suspicion that a person was about to engage in criminal conduct may temporarily take a firearm and run it through databases to see if the weapon was stolen.
An officer may also take a weapon temporarily if it is necessary for the safety of the officer or others. The weapon must be returned unless there is an arrest or the person poses a security threat.