• On Monday, April 12th, the Arizona Governor will receive a proposal to make the state the third in the nation to allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit, after the legislation was approved this week by the Arizona legislature.
• The measure would make it legal for most U.S. citizens 21 or older to carry a concealed firearm in Arizona without the permit now required, allowing residents to forego concealed-carry background checks and classes.
• Arizona Governor Jan Brewer will have until Saturday April 17th to sign the bill or veto it; if she does neither, it will become law without her signature.
• If the bill is enacted, Arizona could become the first state with a large urban population to allow U.S. citizens to carry a concealed firearm without a permit; only Alaska and Vermont currently have similar laws.
• The law would go into effect 90 days after the legislative session ends, which could happen within the next few weeks.
• As you know, there has been a well-documented, post 9-11 rise in the number of U.S. gun owners and the overall public acceptance of firearms ownership -- due to personal security concerns and fear of new gun laws – which has resulted in the well-documented record levels of concealed-carry gun permit applications in states across the country.