by Kentucky Senator

Sara Beth Gregory

16th Senatorial District

Improved access to

concealed weapon licenses

By Sara Beth Gregory, 16th District Senator

As we entered March, the legislature had a shorter than normal week due to dangerous weather and road conditions that resulted in a “snow day” on Monday. Nonetheless, the Senate continued work on legislation both on and off the floor as we are now in the final third of this legislative session.

The members and staff of the Senate Majority Caucus have been busy reviewing the budget situation in preparation for receipt of the House’s budget bill. Even though we do not have an actual piece of legislation to work with, we still anticipate certain requests and appropriations, and we want to be ready to work quickly when the bill comes out of the House.

Three bills regarding the license process for concealed carry of deadly weapons (CCDW) were unanimously approved by the Senate this week. With an increased number of people applying for CCDW permits, the wait time to receive a license has grown due to the time it takes to process a paper application.

To address this issue, I sponsored Senate Bill 100, which would speed up CCDW licensing by allowing electronic applications for both initial licenses and renewals. This will take advantage of modern technology to eliminate the backlog of applications and make the licensing process much more efficient.

Applicants will still have to complete the training requirement and background check, but after submitting the required application, it will take closer to two weeks to get a license instead of two months. The convenience of the electronic application will cost the applicant ten more dollars, but the paper application process will still be available at the current cost.

Senate Bill 106 would permit a person protected by an emergency protective order or domestic violence order to be issued a temporary concealed weapon license for the period of the protective order. A background check by the State Police will have to be conducted, and the recipient will have to receive training within 45 days in order for the provisional to convert to a full CCDW license.

Senate Bill 125 would allow honorably discharged military veterans to avoid the usual training requirement for a CCDW license upon submission of documentation that they have completed other sufficient firearms training.

On a different subject, Senate Bill 109 also passed and would prohibit the sale of “electronic cigarettes” to minors. E-cigarettes are sometimes marketed as a safer alternative to traditional cigarettes because they are smokeless, but they still emit a vaporized form of nicotine to users that supporters of the measure feel is addictive and unsafe for youth. All of these bills now go to the House for consideration.

Also this week, I filed Senate Bill 221, which would authorize the Senate President or Speaker of the House to intervene in a legal action to defend a state statute or the Kentucky Constitution in a case where the Attorney General declines or fails to adequately do so. After the recent ruling by a federal judge on Kentucky’s marriage amendment, it is necessary to ensure that legislative leaders will be able to defend our state’s Constitution in the event other elected officials do not.

As always, I invite you to contact me with feedback or concerns about legislative issues that interest you. You may contact me in Frankfort at 502-564-8100, toll-free at 800-372-7181, or by e-mail at sara.gregory@lrc.ky.gov. More information about the work of the Legislature is available on the Legislative Research Commission website, www.lrc.ky.gov, and you may also watch legislative proceedings live online at www.ket.org.