Gov. Otter signs permitless concealed carry bill

Idaho Governor Butch Otter has signed a bill allowingconcealed carry of firearms in city limitsFriday afternoon.

SB-1389 allows Idahoans who are 21 years or older, to carry a concealed firearm statewide without a permit.

This bill will go into law July 1, 2016.

House lawmakers voted 54-15 last Friday to allow Idahoans to conceal loaded weapons with no permit or training just two days after it sailed through the Senate with a handful of opposing votes. However, people ages 18 through 20 would need a permit and training.

Currently, Idaho allows permits people to carry a gun openly — in a holster, for instance — without a permit.

Other states that don’t require concealed carry permits include Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming and West Virginia. Similar proposals have been introduced in other state legislatures this year.

This bill will go into law July 1, 2016.

Otter says in this statement:

“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.

“However, in considering the implications of this measure I am reminded of the plain language of the Second Amendment: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

“While S1389 is consistent withthe U.S. Constitution, Idaho values and our commitment to upholding our constitutional protections from government overreach, I am concerned about its lack of any provision for education and training of individuals who choose to exercise the right to concealed carry. Such a safeguard would seem to be part of the Second Amendment’s “well-regulated” standard. What’s more, the addition of a simple training requirement in this bill could have addressed the concerns of our valued law enforcement leaders and others who cherish both the shooting culture and the safety of shooters and non-shooters alike.

“In the absence of such a provision, I encourage anyone considering concealed carry to take advantage of gun safety training opportunities available from many reputable sources throughout Idaho. I also encourage the Legislature to monitor the exercise of this new law and respond appropriately when and if the lack of statutory education and training requirement undermines public safety.”