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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