The Kansas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, the grassroots networks of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the Kansas Senate sent HB 2058, a bill which would automatically let people with carry permits from other states—including untrained people and even some with dangerous histories—carry concealed handguns in public in Kansas, to the governor’s desk. HB 2058 would also allow 18-, 19-, 20- year olds to obtain permits to carry concealed handguns in public, including carrying inside school grounds and on college campuses and would make it harder to keep guns out of the hands of violent criminals. State Representative Jo Ella Hoye has already filed a formal request for Governor Kelly to veto this bill.
“I am disappointed that the legislature prioritized a bill that will not make our communities safer instead of taking meaningful action to address the gun violence crisis in our state,” said Kansas State Rep. Jo Ella Hoye. “This dangerous bill puts young Kansans and their families at risk — not only does it let teenagers carry hidden loaded guns in public, it is designed to give people from other states special permission to carry concealed guns in our communities — even those who would be ineligible for a permit in Kansas. I hope that the governor will stand with her constituents and veto this extreme bill.”
“Gun violence is an epidemic in Kansas and across the country, and if this bill becomes law it would invite more gun violence into our state,” said Colleen Cunningham, a volunteer leader with Kansas Moms Demand Action. “This policy would put all our public safety at risk — but that does not need to be the case. We are grateful to Rep. Hoye for her leadership in opposing this bill and will continue to work with her to urge the governor to veto this dangerous legislation.”
“Letting teenagers carry hidden, loaded weapons in public is utterly ridiculous,” said Sophia Steffensmeier, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Manhattan. “This policy would allow teenagers like me to bring guns where they don’t belong, including on our school grounds and on college campuses. Signing this into law would put all young Kansans at risk, and I hope Governor Kelly sees that.”
The bill heads to the governor’s desk the same week as two minors were fatally shot in separate incidents in Kansas, a 12-year-old boy in Kansas City on Wednesday and a yet unidentified minor in Topeka on Thursday.
What to know about HB 2058, which would automatically let people with permits from other states carry concealed handguns in Kansas:
- HB 2058 would let people with permits from other states carry concealed handguns into Kansas.
- This bill contains a dangerous gun lobby-backed proposal to automatically allow people with permits from other states to carry hidden, loaded handguns in Kansas communities—even if they would be ineligible for Kansas permits.
- 15 states issue concealed carry permits to teenagers, who are not eligible to carry concealed handguns in public under current Kansas law. Of those states, 10 allow certain convicted stalkers to obtain permits; 9 fail to require live-fire handgun safety training; and 6 issue permits to many violent misdemeanor offenders.
- It would automatically allow people with permits from other states—including teenagers, certain convicted stalkers, and people who have never fired a handgun—to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public throughout Kansas.
- HB 2058 would allow Kansas teenagers to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public.
- Under current Kansas law, 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds cannot legally carry hidden, loaded handguns in public. But HB 2058 would allow teenagers to obtain permits to carry concealed handguns throughout the state.
- 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds commit gun homicides at a rate nearly four times higher than adults 21 and older.
- This bill would allow teenagers to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public, undermining the common sense laws that keep Kansas communities safe when people carry concealed firearms in public.
Statistics about gun violence in Kansas are available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Navigator – which shows how Kansas gun laws compare to those of other states – is available here.
