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 House Federal and State Affairs Committee voted to advance 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.
“It’s unclear why lawmakers are spending their time on a bill to help people from out of state bypass Kansas permitting requirements,” said Colleen Cunningham, a volunteer with the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Lawmakers should put the security of their constituents first and reject this dangerous proposal. We shouldn’t be letting people from other states who would be ineligible for Kansas permits carry concealed handguns in our state.”
What to know about HB 2058, which would automatically let untrained people with permits from other states carry concealed handguns in Kansas:
- The bill would automatically allow people with permits issued by other states— in some cases including teenagers, certain convicted stalkers, and people who have never fired a handgun—to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public throughout Kansas, 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.
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.