Kansas has joined 13 other states in supporting the U.S. Constitutions Second Amendment by agreeing that people dont need to show why they want a permit to carry a concealed firearm. <\/p>\n
Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Thursday he has added Kansas to a friend-of-the-court brief filed in the 4th U.S. Circuit of Appeals in Richmond, Va. The appellate court is reviewing a decision by a Maryland district court that struck down a Maryland requirement that a person must show a reason for needing a concealed permit before one is issued. <\/p>\n
Citizens who qualify to have a concealed carry permit should not be required to clear the further hurdle of showing the government why they need to have a firearm, Schmidt said. The Second Amendment protects the individuals right to keep and bear arms and does not allow the government to demand to know the reason why. <\/p>\n
Kansas is one of 39 states with a concealed-carry law on the books that doesnt require a person to give a reason for needing the license, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. <\/p>\n
Maryland is among 10 states with a concealed-carry law that has further restrictions, such as requiring a reason for the permit. In Maryland, the law requires a person to have good and substantial reason to wear, carry, or transport a handgun. <\/p>\n
The Maryland State Police unit that handles the permit requests has said that such a reason must reflect more than `personal anxiety and (show) a level of threat beyond that faced by the average citizen, according to court filings. <\/p>\n
Illinois is the only state that bans a private citizen from carrying a concealed firearm. The District of Columbia also has the prohibition. <\/p>\n
Kansas became one of the last states to adopt a concealed-carry law when it was passed by the Legislature in 2006; it took effect in 2007. As of Aug. 15, there were 45,953 concealed-carry permits issued in Kansas, including 9,869 in Sedgwick County. <\/p>\n
The other 13 states signing on with the brief are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and West Virginia. <\/p>\n
Reach Rick Plumlee at 316-268-6660 or at rplumlee@wichitaeagle.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Read the original: Kansas has joined 13 other states in supporting the U.S. Continue reading
\nKansas supports suit opposing concealed-carry permit restrictions<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"