January 31, 2014: With the New Year comes another wave of proposed legislation and already numerous states appear headed towards expanding firearms rights. Among the states seeking to expand firearms rights are:
- South Carolina (bill permitting concealed weapon permit holders to carry firearms in bars is headed to the Governor for approval);
- Tennessee (bill proposed which would eliminate local government’s power to prohibit firearm permit holders from carrying in public parks);
- Nebraska (proposed legislation would prohibit counties and cities from restricting the carrying, possession, transfer, purchase or sale of firearms or ammunition beyond the limits imposed under state law);
- Georgia (proposed legislation would allow permit holders to carry firearms in churches);
- Missouri (reintroduced legislation to nullify federal firearms laws);
- Iowa (bill proposed which would permit active members of the military to purchase handguns without a permit); and
- Oklahoma (new legislation would permit any law-abiding citizen of Oklahoma, age 18 or older, to carry a firearm without a license).
Perhaps the most active state so-far this year is Virginia which has already proposed five new laws, including reducing the requirements for recognition of an out-of-state concealed carry permit, preventing state agencies from assisting in the enforcement of new federal firearms laws, permitting people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit, permitting concealed handguns at airport terminals, and replacing Virginia’s current 5-year concealed carry permits with lifetime concealed carry permits.