Permitless Carry In Kentucky
BY Herschel Smith5 years, 1 month ago
The Kentucky House of Representatives has passed a permitless conceal carry bill.
Senate Bill 150, backed by the National Rifle Association, will now head to Governor Matt Bevin’s desk after a 60-37 vote in the House. It allows Kentuckians 21 and older who can lawfully possess a firearm to be able to conceal it without a permit.
Gov. Bevin said Friday afternoon to Gray TV that he would sign the bill.
“It doesn’t break new ground. It simply says that people do indeed have the right to keep and bear arms,” said Gov Bevin. “… For those people who are offended at this idea and don’t like it, there are other places in America where they could live.”
Gov. Bevin also said he is a concealed carry gun owner and that this bill is a constitutional carry bill.
Well, what does he mean by that? Is this bill permitless carry, or constitutional carry? Curious, I did just a little bit of research on open carry in Kentucky.
Kentucky law provides a strong background for permitting the open carry of firearms in most places. As such, there is little case law discussing the issue, because simply put, it isn’t illegal to openly carry firearms and the cases the do arise are not litigated to the point that they become case law. Even if an individual is charged, the cases will likely be quickly dismissed and will not remain in the judicial system to become legal precedent.
Because open carry of firearms is for the most part, legal in Kentucky, the statutes focus on concealed carry.
Um … what? It’s difficult to believe that the government wrote something like this. In adjacent paragraphs, they wrote the words “simply put, it isn’t illegal to openly carry firearms,” and “open carry of firearms is for the most part, legal in Kentucky.”
My dog could do a better job than that. Maybe some open carriers can come in and clean this up for us, or perhaps you need to be exercising your right to openly carry more in Kentucky, and perhaps that’s the next confusion the legislature should get cleared up.
It sounds like the congress-critters and state lawyers have been taking drugs. Somebody do an intervention, please.
On March 3, 2019 at 11:19 pm, Chris Mallory said:
The KY state constitution protects open carry. Only giving the state the ability to regulate concealed carry. Carry of any kind is still forbidden in schools and courthouses. Open carry has been legal here for over 200 years. I read an 1800’s court decision that stated “honest men carry their weapons openly. Only outlaws and highwaymen concealed their arms.” Or words to that effect.
The 7th Right listed in Section One of the KY Constitution:
Seventh: The right to bear arms in defense of themselves and of the State, subject to the power of the General Assembly to enact laws to prevent persons from carrying concealed weapons.
On March 3, 2019 at 11:28 pm, Chris Mallory said:
Kentucky firearms laws are fairly loose, the main restrictions being Federal. The main exception being that for legal purposes, a blackpowder firearm is considered a firearm. So those arms are barred from felons under state law.