Kansas approves concealed carry without a permit: ‘It is a constitutional right’

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback on Thursday signed a bill allowing Kansans to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training starting this summer.

The new law will go into effect on July 1, and will make Kansas the sixth “constitutional carry” state, allowing Kansans 21 and older to carry concealed weapons without a permit, the Kansas City Star reported Thursday.

But Kansans will still have to go through training in order to carry a weapon in any of the 36 states that accept Kansas permits.

Mr. Brownback encouraged carriers to get training saying his youngest son took a hunter safety course this week.

“It was an excellent course. 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,” Mr. Brownback said during a press conference, The Kansas City Start reported.

But Mr. Brownback added that he believes carrying a gun is a constitutional right and should not require a “permission slip from the government.”

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“It is a constitutional right, and we’re removing a barrier to that right,” he said, The Kansas City Star reported.

Some Kansas lawmakers have concerns about the law as well as law enforcement officials.

“That’s a major responsibility to carry a gun, whether it’s concealed or not. And it’s scary,” said state Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau, a Wichita Democrat. “I predict from the legislation that — and it’s going to go quick, it going to be July 1 — we’re going to see some accidents, possibly deaths.”