West Virginia Lawmakers Eliminate Concealed Handgun Carry Permit Requirements
BY Herschel Smith
8 years, 9 months ago
CHARLESTON, West Virginia — The West Virginia Legislature has approved legislation allowing residents 21 or older to carry a concealed gun without first obtaining a permit or undergoing training.
The measure, passed on a bipartisan vote Wednesday, now goes to Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin for his review. He vetoed a similar bill last year.
Most states require concealed carry permits.
West Virginians between the ages of 18 and 21 could receive a provisional concealed carry permit and would be required to undergo training on proper use of guns.
Passed on bipartisan votes by both the state Senate and the House of Delegates, the proposed law includes a $50 tax credit for residents trained to carry a deadly weapon.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson, said credit would cost the state $3 million.
The bill was opposed by the West Virginia Sheriffs Association and the West Virginia Association of Counties.
Of course the bill was opposed by law enforcement. Of course it was. Here’s a prediction for you (and if we can remember it a year from now and find adequate data on this, we’ll assess my prediction). Nothing will happen. The doomsday predictions the LEOs most assuredly made will not obtain. There won’t be any discernible change in the number of firearms related crimes as a result of the elimination of permitting requirements.
Who wants to call me wrong on this?
On March 3, 2016 at 3:59 pm, Liston Matthews said:
You are exactly right.
On March 4, 2016 at 7:09 pm, Ned Weatherby said:
It’s entirely likely that unarmed people – and pets – will continue to be shot by armed maniacs wearing police uniforms. Other than that, no problem.