Alabama sheriff seeks to amend Alabama’s permitless carry law, require permits for those under 21
Alabama Sheriff Paul Burch proposes an amendment to the state’s permitless carry law, requiring permits for those under 21. He believes this change will help reduce gun violence among young offenders.
@ReadWhatRickWrote 
A sheriff in Alabama, Paul Burch, wants to change the state’s permitless carry law. He believes that anyone under 21 should need a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Sheriff Burch has noticed that many young offenders are involved in gun and gang-related violence. He thinks requiring permits for those under 21 would give the police a way to take guns away before they are used in violent crimes.
Sheriff Burch said, “Even though people committing these crimes might get a gun no matter what the law says, right now, we can’t take it away from them.”
He added, “It’s important to educate law enforcement so they know this isn’t about targeting responsible gun owners. But when a group of people is driving around at 2 a.m. with multiple guns, nothing good can come from that.”
Burch plans to talk to lawmakers to see if they’re interested in his idea. The current law, which allows permitless carry, was approved in 2022. One of the main supporters of that law was Representative Shane Stringer, who didn’t respond to requests for comments. Alabama became the 25th state in the U.S. to approve a permitless carry law, which was backed by gun rights groups. However, some law enforcement officials, especially county sheriffs, were concerned about public safety and losing revenue from permit fees.
It’s unclear if the Legislature, which is mostly Republican, will support changing the permitless carry law. The gun lobby might oppose it, as the NRA believes adults should be able to carry guns without needing government permission.
Former Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack, now the executive director of the Alabama Sheriffs Association, said last month that he doesn’t expect any new legislation on permitless carry. He mentioned that sheriffs have adjusted to the new law and have asked their county commissioners to help cover the lost revenue from permit fees.
Sheriff Burch is just trying to see if there’s interest in his idea. He recently thought of requiring permits for young people who want to carry concealed guns. He believes this could help law enforcement reduce gun violence by seizing weapons before they’re used in crimes.
“I’m not sure how my idea will be received, but it’s a conversation we need to have,” Burch said.
