Could Permitless Concealed Carry Be Coming To PA?

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania House is preparing to evaluate a recent proposal to allow permitless carry for residents. House Bill 230 has just been passed to the Judiciary Committee which will seek to evaluate the potential ramifications of repealing multiple different laws related to an individual being required to demonstrate a proof of permit or license to carry a concealed handgun.

Pennsylvania is already considered an open carry state. That means that so long as you are legally able to possess a gun, you can carry it openly. The only real mishap that takes place is if the gun is accidentally concealed from view. This can allow a negative interpretation by law enforcement and result in potential criminal charges.

If House Bill 230 makes its way through the House and a similar proposal passes the Senate, Pennsylvania could become the newest state to join the permitless carry movement.

While detractors will use heavily skewed statistics and studies to obscure a basic constitutional right, ultimately it comes down to questioning why the state needs to take any role in issuing concealed carry permits.

Well, why should they?

So long as you have a legal ability to own and possess a firearm, you should be held to the same law as everyone else. Law enforcement already treat individuals as if armed until proven otherwise. And common sense, as we’ve seen, is something you can’t learn in an 8 hour class on a Saturday morning.

Making responsible, capable concealed carriers is a long process. It’s a process that requires people to want to improve themselves. There is no state mandate that will make that happen.

In the meantime, there are people who have the ability to carry and should do so. More armed people means more opportunities for bad guys to get stopped. And that’s what we should all be in the business of doing: protecting each other from harm.

So, should the House clear the bill for passage and it moves through, Pennsylvania, you may just become a permitless state yet.