Kentucky has pretty solid gun laws, especially considering it has a Democrat governor. Andy Beshear isn’t quite what I’d call a pro-gun Democrat, but he has quietly allowed several pro-2A measures to become law without whipping out his veto pen, and he’s been mum about things like the state’s permitless carry law as well.
Beshear has come out in favor of “red flag” laws, though, and with rumors swirling about his intentions to run for president in 2028, the governor may be looking to make inroads with the gun control lobby. Keep that in mind as Kentucky lawmakers advance a bill that would lower the age to carry from 21 to 18.
House Bill 321 would let 18-20-year-olds obtain a provisional concealed carry license.
Bill sponsor Rep. Savannah Maddox argued the age group is already allowed to possess the firearms and leaving restrictions in place that prevent concealed carry runs counter to the Second Amendment.
“We recognize their adulthood and the responsibilities that come with it in every other area, but we deny them the ability to protect themselves and their loved ones whenever they step outside their home,” she said.
Now, this is still an intermediate step given that adults 21 and older can lawfully carry without the need for any kind of carry permit. This is still an age-based restriction on a fundamental civil right, though it’s also a step in the right direction.
As you might have already guessed, though, Maddox’s bill isn’t getting a warm welcome from the Democrat minority in the legislature.
Lexington Democratic Rep. Lindsey Burke was among the three”no” votes who were skeptical it would result in a safer state for young adults.
“I’m concerned that what training does, in the short amount of time that it happens, doesn’t mature an 18-year-old brain into a 21-year-old brain,” she said. “I worry that young people are at risk of self-harm, not even thinking about accidents.”
There are plenty of juveniles younger than 18 who know how to be safe and responsible with firearms, and there are plenty of adults older than 21 who are irresponsible idiots. It’s not like we magically flip on a maturity switch on our 21st birthday.
An 18-year-old in Kentucky can vote, serve on a jury, get married, join the military, and be charged as an adult for any crimes they’re accused of committing. Why, then, shouldn’t they be able to exercise their right to bear arms as well? As Maddox pointed out, 18-year-olds can already keep a firearm, so why shouldn’t they be able to bear one as well?
So far Beshear’s kept his mouth shut about HB 321, but I suspect that groups like Everytown and Brady will be intensely lobbying the governor to veto the bill if it’s approved by the legislature. Beshear’s been politically savvy enough to know that governing like Gavin Newsom isn’t going to fly in Kentucky, but I think he’s also smart enough to know that governing like Andy Beshear probably won’t do him any favors in a Democratic primary. How he treats HB 321 may signal his intentions for 2028, and hopefully Republicans are able to garner a veto-proof majority for Maddox’s bill when it hits the House floor.
Editor’s Note: The radical left will stop at nothing to enact their radical gun control agenda and strip us of our Second Amendment rights.
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