Concealed carry bill passes; Governor signs it

    Good Life Gun Training Facility in Enders held an event Saturday titled “Try Before You Buy,” where a large selection of handguns were displayed and made available for purchase.  
    Facility proprietors Dave and Lori Ripley hosted the event with weapons provided by Jared Potts of Night Fall Precision, LLC, of Grant.
    The 40-plus handguns available to try on for size were examples typically a person considers for open carry or concealed.  
    Handguns for concealed carry can be of various sizes, weight and power, and what may seem to be a right fit for one person may not be for another, Potts said.  
    A federal firearms license holder and gun builder, Potts also had a custom made 6 mm rifle and 9 mm pistol on display and for sale at the event.   
    Some 15 different individuals and families attended the event and compared for themselves various weapons of sizes and calibers.  
    Dan and Alyssa Toliver, newlyweds from the Grant area, compared and test fired various weapons systems.  
    “We are both experienced with shooting and gun handling,” Alyssa said.  
    Janet Martin, a paraprofessional at Chase County Schools, said she personally owns three handguns and enjoys the shooting sports.  
    Last week, the Nebraska Unicameral passed LB 77, a bill seven years in debate that will allow Nebraska citizens who can otherwise legally possess firearms to carry handguns concealed without a Concealed Carry Permit.
    It passed 33-14-2 on Final Reading and Gov. Jim Pillen signed the bill this week.
    LB 77 will allow Nebraskans 21 years and older to carry weapons concealed without a permit.  The bill will be applied statewide and will invalidate any local ordinances limiting that ability.  
    It will take effect 90 days after the session ends, likely near the end of August or early September, as reported by the Omaha World Herald.
    LB 77 will allow people to continue getting permits if they want. It would not change who is allowed to purchase firearms in Nebraska, nor would it change where people are allowed to carry concealed weapons.
    Measures like LB 77 are sometimes called “constitutional carry” in reference to some gun rights advocates’ belief that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives people the right to carry concealed weapons without a permit.
    The legislation has its critics.
    After the bill passed, protesters shouted disapproval from the balcony of the legislative chamber and later at the state capital.  
    An amendment turned the Nebraska Sheriff’s Association into a supporter of the bill, and changed the position of the Omaha and Lincoln police unions and the Police Chiefs Association of Nebraska to neutral.
    Ryan Wisnieski, Imperial Chief of Police, said the police department enforces the laws legislated by the lawmakers.
    “Whether citizens are required to have a concealed carry permit or not does not change how we conduct business day to day,” he said.
    Tim Pore, Associate Instructor and Range Safety Officer at Good Life Gun Training, said the passing of LB 77 is a positive step in the right direction of Second Amendment rights.
    “But gun safety is very important and anyone handling firearms needs to be intimate with all safety protocols,” he said.  
    The National Rifle Association and the National Association for Gun Rights praised LB 77’s passage.  
    According to the NRA, the bill will make Nebraska the 27th state to legalize permitless concealed carry.