Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback signed a bill on Thursday to allow permit-free, concealed-carry guns, eliminating a weapons training mandate and rebuffing a lobbying group's efforts to defeat the measure.
Kansas becomes the sixth state that will allow residents at least 21 years of age who can legally possess a firearm without a permit to carry the firearms concealed, following in the footsteps of Wyoming, Arkansas, Vermont, Arizona and Alaska,
according to the Capital-Journal. The newspapers reported that nine other states have similar bills in the pipeline.
"Responsible gun ownership, for protection and sport, is a right inherent in our Constitution," Brownback said of the legislation, which had the so-called "constitutional carry" language. "It is a right that Kansans hold dear and have repeatedly and overwhelmingly reaffirmed a commitment to protecting."
Kansas State Rep. Travis Couture called the state gun permit a "government permission slip" and said the new law simply got rid of something that was already a constitutional right, noted the Capital-Journal.
"It's time for the government to trust Kansans," said Couture. "We haven't had any of the wild west shootouts. We haven't had any of the blood running in the streets."
While the legislation took away the requirement for Kansans to take gun training, Brownback said he still believed it was important for citizens to take training,
reported the the Kansas City Star. He said he and his son took the training themselves.
"It was an excellent course," said Brownback. "He got a lot out of it. I got a lot out of it. And I want to urge people to take advantage of that."
State Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau said law enforcement officials have warned that not having the training mandate will lead to accidents and possibly worse in the future.
"That's a major responsibility to carry a gun, whether it's concealed or not. And it's scary," Faust-Goudeau told the Star. "I predict from the legislation that — and it's going to go quick, it's going to be July 1 — we're going to see some accidents, possibly deaths."
Chris Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action, told the Capital-Journal that Michael Bloomberg's gun-control organization lobbied to defeat the bill but failed.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.