Senate panel OKs concealed carry bill

BOISE — Idaho lawmakers advanced legislation on Monday that would allow state residents 21 years old and older to carry concealed weapons without permits or training.

Currently, Idaho allows people to carry a gun openly — in a holster, for instance — without a permit countywide, but a permit is required to conceal a weapon in Idaho’s cities.

Gun owners can also carry concealed weapons, without a permit, in unincorporated areas of the county.

Senate Bill 1389 seeks to change those laws to allow people to carry concealed weapons without permits, such as by wearing a coat over a holster. Gun owners aged 18 through 21 would still need a permit and training.

"You could really call this a 'put on your coat' bill," said Greg Pruett of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance. "It allows gun owners to put on a coat without fear of breaking the law."

Meanwhile, the current system of permitting will remain in effect, but it will be optional for state residents who want the permit to conceal and carry their weapons in other states. The law wouldn't take effect until 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the session.

The Senate State Affairs Committee approved the bill on a 6-3 vote with no debate or discussion. Democratic Sens. Michelle Stennett of Ketchum and Cherie Buckner-Webb of Boise, along with Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis of Idaho Falls, voted against it.

"If signed into law, SB 1389 would dismantle our current system and put Idahoans at risk, including law enforcement officers who risk their safety to protect us," said Hannah Sharp of the Idaho chapter of Moms Demand Actions for Gun Sense in America. "So why are our elected leaders attempting to undo a system that has worked for a century and is supported by law enforcement?"

Everytown for Gun Safety, a group funded by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with police chiefs in Boise, Meridian and Garden City, also oppose the legislation because of public safety concerns.

"I will tell you that as far as our crimes in Boise, I've never had an incident with open carry," Boise Police Chief Bill Bones said. "It's always been someone carrying a concealed weapon."

Last week, Coeur d’Alene Police Chief Lee White spoke openly against the proposed law, citing the same concerns.

If the bill is approved, which appears likely in the Republican-dominated Legislature in the middle of an election year, Idaho would join a short list of states with no such requirements.

That list includes Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Maine, Vermont, Wyoming and West Virginia. Arkansas has a similar law, but the current and previous attorneys general have disagreed on the interpretation. A handful of similar proposals are also making their way through other state legislatures this year.

"(This bill) actually eliminates the presumption that someone carrying a firearm is criminal. I don't think that should be a presumption at all," said Dakota Moore, a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association.