On Wednesday, lawmakers in Nebraska passed a bill allowing residents to carry concealed guns in the state without a permit.
Opponents of the bill filibustered for 14 hours over three rounds of debate. The bill was opposed primarily by lawmakers in the areas of Omaha and Lincoln, where the majority of gun violence in the state occurs. The bill ended up passing 33-14 (via the Associated Press):
The bill does not usurp the federal requirement for a background check to buy a gun, and those with a history of crime or mental health issues that bar them from possessing a gun would still be barred under the Nebraska bill. But it allows eligible people to carry guns hidden in their clothing or vehicle without having to pay for a government permit or take a gun safety course, which is currently required. It also overrides stricter gun laws in the state’s cities, including in the state’s largest city of Omaha, which requires a conceal carry license for anyone carrying a gun in a car — even if the gun is in open view.
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Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon — the bill’s conservative sponsor who has tried since 2017 to pass it — expressed frustration with the yearslong opposition to it and said his sole purpose was to ensure Nebraskans are afforded their constitutional right to carry guns.
Republican Gov. Jim Pillen is expected to sign the bill into law. It will go into effect 90 days after he signs.
Earlier this month, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed permitless concealed carry legislation into law, making Florida the latest state to allow permitless carry of firearms.
In December, the Tampa Bay Times reported that DeSantis said he “always supported” this type of legislation protecting Americans’ Second Amendment rights.
“Basically, this was something that I’ve always supported,” DeSantis reportedly said. “The last two years, it was not necessarily a priority for the legislative leadership. But we’ve been talking about it, and he’s [House Speaker Paul Renner] pledged publicly that’s moving forward, and it’ll be something that will be done in the regular session.”
In January, Renner announced the legislation, pointing out that “Florida led the nation in allowing for concealed carry[.]”
“We need to make sure that we put guns in the hands of the good men and women, the law-abiding men and women, who have a right to defend themselves and defend others,” he added.