Constitutional Carry Passes in State House of Representatives
In a 65 to 37 vote, the proposed constitutional carry bill, allowing Alabamians to carry a handgun without a permit, passed through the House of Representatives and will now head to the the Senate.
The bill has been championed by gun rights groups who are against the current required permit. To get a permit Alabamians have to pay $20. House democrats argue that the bill would actually defund the police without the funding that currently comes from permits.
Groups of law enforcement officials made a presence at the house, persisting that the passing would also put officers lives at risk.
“I’m not speaking from a brief knowledge of what is going on,” Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones said. “I have been a law enforcement officer for five decades. I’m basing it on my experience, and what I have seen through the years. There are a lot of other law enforcement officers that feel the same way. This is something that we are disappointed in, but we will continue to fight to do what we can to keep this legislation from coming out.”
