WV LAWMAKERS LIKELY TO ELIMINATE CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMITS FOR 'FREE CARRY'

(12/19/2015)

WV lawmakers are gearing up for another attempt at making it legal to carry concealed weapons in the state without a permit. The Republican-led Legislature overwhelmingly passed a measure during the 2014 session to allow people to carry out-of-sight guns without a permit. Democratic Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed it, citing safety concerns with an outcry from law enforcement. Sen. Bill Cole (R), the president of West Virginia's Senate, said legislators are working on a new version of the legislation to appease law enforcement's concerns. Cole said the "free carry" carry bill, supported by the National Rifle Association, is intended to expand the rights of law-abiding citizens, not criminals. Gov. Tomblin vetoed the bill, saying safety training to handle pistols was an important part of the current law. It's already legal to carry a gun openly in a holster without a permit in West Virginia. Only a handful of states have that kind of leniency, including Maine, Alaska, Arizona, Kansas, Vermont and Wyoming. Many pro-gun Democrats also joined Republicans in approving the bill this year by a 71-29 margin in the House of Delegates and 30-4 in the Senate. Lawmakers will likely have enough support to override the governors veto. In 2014, Gov. Tomblin signed a bill making it impossible for city officials to ban guns at such facilities as city swimming pools, tennis courts, after-school centers and recreational centers.

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