Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Condemn Kansas House for Passing Bill to Let Teenagers, People from Other States Carry Hidden, Loaded Guns in Public

The Kansas chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, the grassroots networks of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement after the state House of Representatives voted to advance HB 2058, a bill which would automatically let people with carry permits from other states—including untrained people and even some with dangerous histories—carry concealed handguns in public in Kansas. The bill was also amended to include provisions allowing Kansas teenagers to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public. 

“By helping people from out of state bypass Kansas permitting requirements, lawmakers put the security of their constituents last,” said Mary Snipes, volunteer leader with the Kansas chapter of Moms Demand Action and  Survivor Fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network. “There is no good reason the House should have passed this bill, it not only is meant for people from out of state, it is dangerous for people in state. We shouldn’t be letting teenagers or people from other states who would be ineligible for Kansas permits carry concealed handguns in our state.”

What to know about HB 2058, which would automatically let people with permits from other states carry concealed handguns in Kansas:

• The bill would automatically allow people with permits issued by other states— in some cases including teenagers, certain convicted stalkers, and people who have never fired a handgun—to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public throughout Kansas, even if they would be ineligible for Kansas permits.
• 15 states issue concealed carry permits to teenagers, who are not eligible to carry concealed handguns in public under current Kansas law. Of those states, 10 allow certain convicted stalkers to obtain permits; 9 fail to require live-fire handgun safety training; and 6 issue permits to many violent misdemeanor offenders.

Statistics about gun violence in Kansas are available here, and Everytown’s Gun Law Navigator – which shows how Kansas gun laws compare to those of other states – is available here.