The Keystone State is one final step away from joining 21 other states that have constitutional carry. Earlier this evening, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed SB 565 by Sen. Cris Dush, on a 107 to 92 vote.
The bill was offered to the House today by Rep. Aaron Bernstine, who was also the sponsor of the House companion bill to SB 565. Despite the claims of the bill’s opponents, constitutional carry legislation isn’t for criminals. It simply puts law-abiding citizens who are otherwise legally able to possess and carry a firearm, on equal footing by codifying the inherent right to carry a firearm into statute. It also retains a permitting process for gun owners who wish to take advantage of concealed carry reciprocity with other states.
The NRA is the national leader in the “constitutional carry” movement where law-abiding individuals are not required to obtain a government permit to carry a firearm for lawful purposes. Today’s vote advances the fight to protect and expand the right of law-abiding Pennsylvanians to carry and remove unnecessary government red tape and delays from the process.
We would like to thank House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff and House Judiciary Chair Rob Kauffman for their continued leadership on issues crucial to Pennsylvania’s law-abiding gun owners.