Idaho Governor Signs Bill: 2nd Amendment Is Your Concealed Carry Permit

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by AWR HAWKINS28 Mar 2016204

On March 25 Idaho Governor Butch Otter signed permitless concealed carry legislation which makes the Second Amendment the official carry permit for state residents 21 years and older.

Open carry of a handgun for self-defense was already legal in Idaho and proponents of the permitless concealed carry legislation–Senate Bill 1389–argued that a law-abiding citizen openly carrying a gun ran the risk of the breaking the law if his jacket, shirt, or other article of clothing inadvertently covered the firearm. SB 1389 removes this risk by recognizing the right to carry openly or concealed without a permit.

The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 27-8 and passed the House by a vote of 54-15.

Breitbart News previously reported that SB 1389 preserves the concealed permitting process for those who still a want a license for the benefits of reciprocity with other states.

According to KTVB, Governor Otter released a letter on March 25 which said, “I’m a gun owner, a hunter and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association. I have consistently championed our citizens’ gun rights throughout my years in public office, and I do so again today in signing Senate Bill 1389 into law.” He also used the letter to stress his conviction that SB 1389 “is consistent with the U.S. Constitution,” and encouraged those who will carry without a permit to be sure they are trained in the proper use of firearms.

Idaho now joins Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Vermont, Wyoming, and West Virginia in allowing open carry or concealed carry without a permit.

The law abolishing the need for a concealed carry permit goes into effect in Idaho on July 1, 2016.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

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Florida Police: Armed Employee Confronts ‘Active Shooter,’ Stops Him ‘in His Tracks’

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Jacksonville Sheriff's Office

by AWR HAWKINS14 Mar 2016363

On March 9, an employee at a Florida business ran out to his car, grabbed his gun, then re-entered the business and confronted an alleged “active shooter,” stopping him “in his tracks.”

The incident occurred at B&L Landscaping in Jacksonville, where police say the alleged “active shooter” is “not a US citizen.”

According to CBS 47, 24-year-old Ezequiel Lopez allegedly opened fire on 55-year-old Andrew Little because he thought “Little disrespected him.” Police indicate that Lopez told them he allegedly planned the shooting because he felt Little “treated him differently that other employees.”

B&L employee Joshua Curry ran to his car to retrieve his own gun after hearing shouts of “active shooter.” He then ran back inside and confronted Lopez.

WOKV reports that witnesses say Curry “stopped the shooter in his tracks.”

Curry said Lopez allegedly told him to drop the gun, but he refused. Curry said, “He’s like, ‘No, you need to put the gun down.’ I was like, ‘That’s not gonna happen man. It’s not. You just killed someone. I can’t take my gun off of you. I can’t.'”

Andrew Little died from a single gunshot wound to the back, and Lopez was charged with murder.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

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West Virginia Lawmakers Override Veto: Permitless Carry ‘Becomes Law In 90 Days’

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by AWR HAWKINS6 Mar 20161461

On March 4, the West Virginia House voted to override Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s (D) veto of permitless carry legislation and on Saturday, March 5, the West Virginia Senate followed suit.

When Tomblin vetoed the legislation–House Bill 4145–he released the following statement:

West Virginia’s law enforcement officers have dedicated their lives to keeping us safe and helping us in times of need, and it’s disheartening that the members of the Legislature have chosen not to stand with these brave men and women – putting their safety and the safety of West Virginians at risk. It’s unfortunate that the concerns of officers from every law enforcement branch in the state, including the West Virginia State Police and university campus police officers, have been ignored by today’s action.

But lawmakers who view the requirement of a concealed carry license as a burden on the exercise of Second Amendment rights saw things differently. WSAZ 3 reports that the Senate override the veto by a vote of 23-11.

The override means persons 21-year-old or older who are not barred from gun possession will be able to carry a gun without permit and persons 18-20 years of age will be able to get a concealed carry permit to carry a gun.

Permitless concealed carry “now becomes law in 90 days.”

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

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Big Government, 2nd Amendment, Second Amendment, Concealed Carry,constitutional carry, West Virginia,Governor Earl Ray Tomblin, Permitless Carry