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Eye On Boise

Senate panel opens hearing on concealed carry bill

Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, presents the permitless concealed-carry bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday morning (Betsy Z. Russell)
Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, presents the permitless concealed-carry bill to the Senate State Affairs Committee on Monday morning (Betsy Z. Russell)

The Senate State Affairs Committee is holding a hearing in the Lincoln Auditorium today on SB 1389, the bill to allow people in Idaho to carry concealed guns without a permit within city limits. The auditorium is about half-full for the hearing; people have turned out both for and against the measure.

Three area chiefs of police, Boise Police Chief Bill Bones, Meridian Police Chief Jeff Lavey, and Garden City Police Chief Rick Allen, wrote a guest opinion published in the Idaho Statesman opposing the bill this morning for two reasons: Because it would allow people who’ve never undergone a background check to see if they are legally allowed to have guns to carry concealed guns; and because it wouldn’t require people with concealed weapons to disclose that to law enforcement officers when they’re contacted. “SB 1389 will put law enforcement at risk,” the chiefs wrote.

You can watch the hearing live here. The bill is sponsored by Senate State Affairs Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, House Speaker Scott Bedke, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, House State Affafirs Chairman Tom Loertscher, and Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale; and has 13 legislative co-sponsors, including Reps. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, and Ron Nate, R-Rexburg.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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