Congressman Mo Brooks, R-Alabama, on Tuesday expressed his support for Alabama state Rep. Andrew Sorrell’s House Bill 405, which would allow Alabamians to carry a concealed pistol without needing to obtain a concealed carry permit.
This type of legislation is often referred to as permitless carry or constitutional carry by gun rights advocates. According to the National Association for Gun Rights, 17 states have already adopted similar laws.
“The Second Amendment is clear, ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ Period,” Brooks said:
“The Constitution doesn’t say the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed unless a state government disagrees. The Constitution doesn’t say the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed except that a person has to get a permit to carry a pistol. America’s founders didn’t stipulate that the Second Amendment could be infringed if anti-gun politicians say so. No, American citizens have a right to self-defense and they have a right to keep and bear arms to ensure America never experiences a tyrannical, dictatorial government takeover.
“The Second Amendment is the Constitutional Bill of Rights amendment that protects all other amendments. America’s Founding Fathers, in their boundless wisdom, knew that an armed citizenry was the best defense against tyranny. I wholeheartedly support the Second Amendment and Representative Andrew Sorrell’s Constitutional Carry bill. The vast majority of Alabama Republican voters support constitutional carry. The Alabama House should pass HB 405 without delay. I thank Alabama Representative Sorrell for leading the charge for gun rights in Alabama.”
Sorrell, R-Muscle Shoals, thanked Brooks for his support.
“I want to thank Congressman Brooks for taking a stand for Alabama gun owners. Constitutional Carry is gaining momentum in Alabama, as evidenced from an increase in co-sponsorship in the House from a handful of Representatives in 2019 to 24 cosponsors in 2021,” Sorrell said. “Congressman Brooks said it well, no state government should be allowed to sell you back your Constitutional rights. I am grateful for the Congressman’s support for my bill, and I thank him for his defense of our liberty in Washington, D.C.”
The National Rifle Association and National Association for Gun Rights support Sorrell’s legislation. This issue has come up several times in recent years, but the House leadership has repeatedly blocked similar bills from coming to the floor of the House. Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Northport, has introduced a similar bill in the Alabama Senate.
The Alabama Sheriffs Association opposes this legislation, arguing that it will make it less safe for law enforcement officers and reduce sheriff departments’ revenue.
Proponents of constitutional carry argue that criminals are not deterred by the pistol permit requirement and dispute the idea that permit sales would drop. A concealed carry permit is still needed when a gun owner crosses state lines.
Sorrell is currently running for vice chair of the Alabama Republican Party. Brooks is in his sixth term representing the 5th Congressional District.
