Idaho should require concealed carry permits for state residents
Last week, the Idaho House State Affairs Committee voted to move a bill to the Idaho State Legislature that could allow Idaho residents to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
The bill, introduced by Idaho Second Amendment Alliance President Greg Pruett, would make it legal for any person over 21 years old to carry a concealed weapon in the state of Idaho.
The bill does not change the standards of eligibility for possessing a firearm. So felons, people with other criminal backgrounds, histories of mental illness, substance abuse, illegal immigrant status and other qualifiers still would not be permitted to carry a weapon.
The bill also warns that this is a state-by-state issue, and federal and state laws differ, so people carrying weapons could still be prosecuted for those violations. There also remain some restrictions on when and where concealed carry is permitted, if the bill is passed.
Despite the fact the bill does not change who is eligible to carry a concealed weapon, passing “Constitutional Carry” would make it near impossible to regulate who carries concealed weapons in the state. The bill increases the chance that people who should not be handling firearms — be it because they are unstable, a convicted felon or simply haven’t been properly trained to handle weapons — will be carrying them in public places and no one will know.
Permit-less open carry is already legal in Idaho, and as Idaho Code pertaining to concealed weapons is written currently, there are exceptions already in place that allow people to carry concealed weapons in certain places without a permit, such as in a person’s home or personal property. Changing the law to allow permit-less concealed carry everywhere only creates a more dangerous and unsettling state for everyone.
In addition, many Idahoans have already put in the effort to obtain a concealed carry permit. Eliminating the requirement for a permit would negate the value of the time and money many people spent on obtaining a concealed weapons permit in the first place.
The process to obtain concealed weapons permit requires a certain amount of training, meaning those who have obtained the right to concealed carry in public spaces are — in theory — trained and competent in handling weapons. So, requiring a permit makes those who handle weapons less of a threat to the safety of society because they are trained in proper gun handling. Removing the requirement for a permit eliminates the requirement to be trained in properly using a weapon.Legislators in support of the “Concealed Carry” bill say it seeks to “align Idaho laws with the true meaning of the Second Amendment.” This implies the existence of a permit requirement infringes on people’s right to bear arms.
The thing is, it doesn’t. Requiring that people go through brief background checks and a training class does not restrict people who could otherwise have weapons from doing so, it simply makes them safer.
This bill undermines the purpose of firearms training. In a time when gun violence is particularly rampant, training to carry a weapon — as well as the ability to verify that training — can only be a good thing.
–EB