Republican lawmakers across the country advanced dozens of gun-related bills this year to roll back firearm restrictions or challenge federal regulations — efforts that have come under scrutiny in light of recent mass shootings in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, and a grade school in Uvalde, Texas.
In particular, state legislators have focused efforts on passing legislation that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, sometimes called “constitutional carry” measures by their proponents. Lawmakers in seven states — Georgia, Alabama, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Indiana, Ohio and Nebraska — introduced such bills this year, and four enacted them, NBC News reported.
Currently, 25 states allow people to carry concealed weapons without a permit, with more bills likely to pass in coming years — a trend that has worried those concerned about potential hikes in gun-related violence.
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A 2021 Pew Research Center study reported that the number of Americans who support stricter gun laws has declined since 2019. But that same study also found that majorities in both parties oppose permitless carry legislation, with many worried that it would expand gun access to untrained and unvetted buyers.
Read the full story at NBCNews.com.
