Conceal carry bill advances despite Boise Police chief’s safety, training concerns

Proponents and opponents of a bill lowering the age to 18 to conceal carry a handgun within Idaho city limits without a permit or training testified on Monday about the importance of firearm-safety training.

But their shared concern was not enough to sway the Senate State Affairs Committee, which passed House bill 206 on a party-line vote. The committee comprises seven Republicans, who voted in favor, and two Democrats.

“Where is the fear in this? I am trying to figure out why a little bit of training isn’t helpful to getting to where you are hoping to get to?” Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, asked a member of the Idaho Three Percent militia group who was testifying in favor of the bill.

“No one is saying it isn’t helpful. We are just asking that you don’t mandate it,” Eric Parker told the committee. “It is obviously helpful. Anybody with common sense, anybody who is law abiding, knows that the more training you have with firearms, the more respect you have for firearms, the safer, the better off you are going to be.

“What we are saying is ‘shall not be infringed’ goes for 18-year-olds as well,” Parker said, referring to the Second Amendment.

Parker was one of four Idahoans indicted in the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff with federal authorities in Nevada. He accepted a plea deal, dropping the felony charges to a misdemeanor.

The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Christy Zito, R- Hammett, explained a disconnect in the state law:

“Currently in the state of Idaho, those young adults between the ages of 18 and 21 can carry a handgun open anywhere in the state of Idaho. They can carry conceal anywhere in the state of Idaho except in the city limits. What we propose to do is to remove that caveat, so that young adults will be able to carry open or concealed everywhere in the entire state of Idaho.”

Idaho would not be the only state to enact such legislation.

“There are six states in this country that have constitutional carry where 18 is the age limit,” Idaho Second Amendment Alliance Director Greg Pruett told the committee.

The House on March 14 voted along party lines to approve the bill.

Elana Story with the Idaho chapter of Moms Demand Action told the committee: “It is our responsibility to ensure basic safety standards for our children in our community. Let’s consider the facts: 18- to 20-year-olds can’t legally buy a handgun from a federally licensed dealer, so most will acquire handguns without a background check and 18- to 20-year-olds commit nearly four times as many gun homicides as adults 21 and older.”

Story also noted 70 percent of Idaho’s population live within cities. “This bill will allow a teenager who has never handled a handgun to be able to carry concealed inside the city limits. “

Boise Police Chief William Bones, representing the city and the police department, also testified against the bill.

“Our 18- and 20-year-olds already have the right to carry those firearms and they have the right to carry them concealed when they are hunting and hiking,” he said. “They also have the right to obtain a conceal carry permit in the state, but to do so, they have to go through some training. And that is what this is about. This would give those 18-year-olds the ability to carry guns concealed in the areas in which people are most concentrated and it gives that ability with no controls, with no prior training.”

“Inevitably this would lead to an increase in weapons at parties, concerts, sporting activities and any other location where youth might gather and those guns might come into use,” Bones continued. “My biggest concern is not over how to use a firearm as far as pulling the trigger and aiming, a lot of our youth are exposed to that from the time they are very young, but it is in the decision-making of when you should pull that trigger.”

Bones was the only active law enforcement officer to testify before the committee.

Zito told the committee the Idaho Constitutional Sheriffs Association, along with national organizations Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, Gun Owners of America, and National Rifle Association, support the bill.

“We also have the support of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance. We have support of groups like the Idaho Three Percent and several different militia groups,” she said.

Stennett noted several key Idaho law enforcement groups, including Idaho Sheriffs Association, Idaho Chiefs of Police Association and Idaho Fraternal Order of Police, did not weigh in on the bill, nor did Association of Idaho Cities or any city mayors or city council members.

“I would have liked to have seen a little more support from anybody else,” she said.

Stennett motioned to send the bill to amending order for possible addition of a gun-safety training component.

“The one thing both sides came to say is training is very helpful,” she said. “What concerns me is even my hairdresser has more licensing and training than people who carry guns in this state.“

Stennett’s motion failed on party lines.

The committee then voted on party lines to send the bill to the Senate floor with a “do pass” recommendation.