This afternoon, March 25, 2016, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter (R) signed Senate Bill 1389, NRA-endorsed permitless carry legislation. On July 1, 2016, Idaho will become the eighth state to recognize a law-abiding adult’s ability to possess a concealed handgun for self-defense without government-mandated permitting and fees.
SB 1389 will positively affect law-abiding gun owners in the following ways:
- SB 1389 ensures that the existing and long-standing concealed weapon license (CWL) exemption applicable “outside the limits or confines of any city” only protects the rights of law-abiding individuals.
- SB 1389 exempts law-abiding Idahoans, who are twenty-one years of age or older, from having to obtain a CWL in order to carry a concealed handgun for self-defense within city limits.
- SB 1389 provides a mechanism for well-trained, law-abiding individuals who are eighteen years of age or older to obtain a CWL.
SB 1389 recognizes a law-abiding adult’s unconditional Right to Keep and Bear Arms for self-defense in the manner he or she chooses. Self-defense situations are difficult, if not impossible, to anticipate. Accordingly, a law-abiding adult’s right to defend themselves in such situations should not be conditioned by government-mandated time delays and taxes.
Please contact Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and thank him for his support for your Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Your NRA-ILA would also like to thank Lt. Governor Brad Little for his vocal support of this important legislation.