Constitutional Carry Sweeping Nation as Number of States Doubles in Past Two Years

Currently, 14 states have adopted constitutional carry laws and a 15^th state, Texas has a limited version that puts it very close to joining the club.

Once of the newest states to join the movement is Missouri, which in 2017 became a constitutional carry state in January after the legislature overrode the veto of Democrat Governor Jay Nixon, just before he left office.

Since then, three more states have become constitutional carry this year: New Hampshire, Maine and North Dakota.

The swift movement in 2017 follows three states signing on in 2016: West Virginia, Idaho and Mississippi.

Between Vermont in 1791 until the new states in 2016 and 2017, here are the states that adopted constitutional carry in their chronological order: Montana (1991), Alaska (2003), Arizona (2010), Wyoming (2011), Arkansas (2013), Kansas (2015).

The Montana law has one limitation: gun owners are not afforded the right in cities. Since most of the state is highly rural, it’s a constitutional carry state for most of its citizens.

Texas has a mixed situation as well. Individuals may carry their firearm either inside their vehicles, or to their vehicles from their homes or businesses without a permit. Legislation to go full constitutional carry was stalled in committee this past year.

The constitutional carry movement is being pushed by a growing belief that individuals bear a personal responsibility for their own safety and the protection of their property and businesses.

As evidenced by the riots in Ferguson, Missouri, following the police shooting of Michael Brown (which was fully justified), the only businesses not burned down or severely damaged were those protected by individuals who were armed. The police were totally overwhelmed.

This year a number of states will formally consider legislation already introduced for constitutional carry, or begin the process of drafting bills.

These states are: Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin.

The remaining non-constitutional carry states include a number of the usual blue state suspects that are more interested in gun control than self defense.

Recent terrorist events, crime by illegal immigrants and police response time slowed by understaffing all have contributed to the growing movement for individuals to rely on themselves for protection and self-defense.