Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Lawmakers in Kansas have voted to lower the age of concealed carry from 21 to 18. These residents must pass a training class and obtain a concealed carry permit. Kansas allows “constitutional carry” for residents over 21. They don’t need permits to carry their firearms.
Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the new bill, but the state House and Senate voted to override it.
“We can respect and defend the rights of Kansas gun owners while also taking effective steps to keep our children and families safe,” Gov. Kelly said about why she vetoed the bill. “Legislation that allows more guns on campus is neither safe nor effective, and it will drive prospective students away from our schools.”
Under the new law, some felons convicted of violent crimes may regain their right to keep and bear arms. From the bill’s summary (PDF):
The bill removes the restriction on firearm possession for an individual who has had a felony conviction expunged or pardoned if a lifetime, three-year, or three-month weapons possession prohibition applies under the bill.
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The bill provides, when a person whose arrest record, conviction, or diversion of a crime that resulted in such person being prohibited by state or federal law from possessing a firearm has been expunged, it shall be deemed that such person’s right to keep and bear arms is fully restored. The restoration of rights includes, but is not limited to, the right to use, transport, receive, purchase, transfer, and possess firearms.
Under the new law, the state will recognize the validity of other states’ concealed carry permits. Non-residents with a concealed carry permit may carry concealed in Kansas. Republicans in power at state and local levels must continue to pass laws that protect our constitutional rights. So far, 20 states have permit-less concealed carry laws. The White House seeks to tighten restrictions on guns and push a national “red flag” law that will allow family members and law enforcement to seek a court order to block “people in crisis” from having access to their guns.
Photo credit: By Joshuashearn – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fredrick Douglas once opined there were only three boxes a blackman could depend on for justice the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box the National Rifle Association forgot it roots it was founded by former Union officers to teach former black slaves the use of firearms to deal with klan!