MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Gun rights groups and Alabama sheriffs are taking opposite sides on a proposal that would let people carry concealed handguns in public without a permit.
The Senate Judiciary Committee held a public hearing Wednesday on the bill by Republican Sen. Gerald Allen of Tuscaloosa. It would do away with the state requirement to obtain a concealed carry permit.
Allen says people shouldn't have to pay a fee to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms. The National Rifle Association backs the bill and says 16 states have approved some version of permitless carry.
Alabama sheriffs and members of the group Moms Demand Action call the proposal a threat to public safety.
Montgomery County Derrick Sheriff Cunningham says permits are a tool for officers to combat crime and protect communities.