New Idaho Concealed Weapons License

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From Mike Brown, Executive Director/General Counsel of Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance:

Fellow shooters:
 
For the past several years we at the Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance have been working to get more reciprocity for Idaho concealed weapons licenses. This year we were able to get a bill printed- House Bill 192 which establishes a new tier of concealed  weapons licensing- the Enhanced Concealed Weapons License (ECWL). This bill has been tailored to meet the requirements of those states which recognize at least some other states licenses, but which currently do not recognize the current Idaho CWL such as Washington and Nevada. The new ECWL is completely optional and requires training equivalent to NRA Personal Protection, including live fire and qualified legal instruction on firearms law and the use of deadly force by private citizens, thereby allowing much improved recognition by other states.

Although the new ECWL will have no affect on the current license, thus leaving it available, the ECWL will have the same in-state benefits as the current license and will not require the current license as a prerequisite. This is an exciting development for those of us who want to carry in other states and have had to get out-of-state licenses to get the coverage we need. We are already working with officials in other states to recognize the new Idaho enhanced license when it goes into effect on July 1. We hope to have enough states recognize the new license so that an Idaho resident will be able to carry in up to 40 states.
 
We have heard nothing but positive comments on House Bill 192. The most common response has been, “Why didn’t Idaho do this years ago?” Believe me we have been trying.
 
Despite passing unanimously in the House, H192 is in trouble in the Senate. Senator Lee Heider of Twin Falls attempted to send the bill to the amending order on Friday. With two weeks left in the session this would have killed the bill!
 
H192 needs your help: please contact your Senator and ask them to vote for H192 when it comes to the floor this week.  If you live in Twin Falls (District 24) please contact Senator Lee Heider and ask him why he wants to kill the enhanced bill. Do not believe anyone who tells you that they just want to “amend” the bill– anything other than a “Yes” vote is a vote to kill enhanced licensing.
See you on the range,
 
 
Mike Brown
Executive Director/General Counsel
Idaho Sport Shooters Alliance
 
P.S. To learn more about IDSSA or to make a donation to help us continue our work for you in Idaho, please visit www.IdahoSSA.org

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One thought on “New Idaho Concealed Weapons License”

  1. Do you really want the more egregious states setting the standards for, ‘nudging’, the less restrictive states? Do you really want to increase the complexity of Idaho law? Am I the only one who thinks that if this passes it may eventually be declared a “success” and lead to the elimination of the less restrictive license? Am I the only one who thinks that if the efforts and resources that are being put into things like this all over the country were instead put into national constitutional carry we’d be getting more bang for the buck? Is anyone else looking at the Overton Window aspect of all this?

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