Nebraska lawmakers have passed a permitless concealed carry bill in the state Senate, sending it to Republican Gov. Jim Pillen’s desk.
In a 33-14 vote on Wednesday, state senators passed Legislative Bill 77, which would allow residents to carry a concealed handgun without a permit.
Currently, a $100 permit and a potentially expensive $200 safety course must be taken in order to carry a concealed weapon in the state. However, Nebraska will join 25 other states in permitting concealed carry without a permit if Legislative Bill 77 becomes law.
GOP Sen. Tom Brewer, who introduced the bill, said that the measure guarantees the right to bear arms in Nebraska.
“What we do in this body sometimes is trying to follow through with the will of the people and give them the rights that they have in the Constitution,” Brewer said. “And sometimes we go out of the way and twist those rights and keep people from having them, and I think (the concealed carry permit) is a case of that.”
Pillen has expressed his support for the bill and is expected to sign LB 77 once it arrives at his desk.
I am proud to support LB 77 and Nebraskans' constitutional rights. Thank you to the Nebraska Legislature for sending this bill to my desk. pic.twitter.com/25kn0oT0jC
— Governor Jim Pillen (@TeamPillen) April 19, 2023
“I am proud to support LB 77 and Nebraskans’ constitutional rights. Thank you to the Nebraska Legislature for sending this bill to my desk,” the governor tweeted on Wednesday.
Critics of the bill, however, have said that the proposed law could put lives at risk following a recent string of shootings across the U.S.
“You have heard from law enforcement and the chiefs of police on how insistent they are to keep concealed carry permits in place for the protection of their officers and communities, and how important it is to kill this bill,” said Democratic Sen. Jane Raybould.
Discussions on gun control legislation have been reignited after a series of mass shootings in the country recently. Since then, President Joe Biden has reiterated his rhetoric against the 2nd Amendment.
During a speech earlier this year, the president stated unequivocally, “We’re going to ban assault weapons,” adding, “We banned it once, we’re going to do it again, and the number of bullets that can be in a clip.”
It is unclear what the president means when he refers to “assault weapons,” considering they are already illegal, which suggests that Biden is trying to redefine what makes an “assault weapon.”
