A state lawmaker has proposed allowing Kentuckians to carry concealed firearms without a license. The legislation would allow people carrying concealed deadly weapons anywhere license holders are already allowed.
Rep. Wesley Morgan, a Republican from Richmond and former ATF agent, said he proposed the measure because he thinks it would bring state law more in line with the Second Amendment.
“Basically what we’re saying is you don’t have to have a concealed carry license, but it never was a requirement in the Second Amendment,” Morgan said.
“The government does not have the right to tell you to get a license to carry something that the constitution gives you the right to do,” he said.
A similar proposal was introduced during the legislative session earlier this year. That bill, proposed by London Republican Sen. Albert Robinson, never made it out of committee despite a long list of supporters in the Senate.
Currently, Kentuckians have to pass a training class to receive a concealed carry permit. The licensing process also requires a criminal background check—people with felony convictions, recent drug convictions and multiple DUIs are blocked from getting a license.
Last year, the legislature passed a bill allowing off-duty police officers to carry concealed firearms without a license.
There are 12 states that allow concealed carry without a permit.
