Pro-gun rights advocates fighting for the Kentucky government to recognize the Second Amendment-protected rights of young adults aged 18 to 20 have hit a roadblock.
On April 2, Gov. Andy Beshear vetoed House Bill 312, which had been overwhelmingly in both the state House and the Senate. The measure would have created a provisional concealed carry permit for 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds, granting them the same rights as other adults in the Bluegrass State.
The Kentucky Senate approved the measure 30-7, and the House passed the measure by a 73-to-17 margin. To get a provisional license, young adults would have to meet the same eligibility requirements as older applicants, including background checks and mandatory firearms training. The provisional license would have remained valid until the holder turned 21, at which point they could transition to a standard license without repeating training.
“While I believe in the Second Amendment,” Beshear wrote in his veto message, “minors under age 21 could carry concealed deadly weapons, even though federal law restricts their ability to buy handguns.”
As USA Carry pointed out in a news story on the veto, the legislation would not have changed who could legally possess a firearm. It focused specifically on how law-abiding young adults could carry for personal protection.
“Adults aged 18 to 20 remain legal adults under both state and federal law, with the right to possess firearms and the responsibility that comes with it,” the report stated. “The outcome of this veto is a reminder that Second Amendment rights, like all civil rights, can face political obstacles even when legislation has strong legislative support. Staying engaged with state-level developments is part of being an informed and responsible gun owner.”
Fortunately, there’s still a ray of hope for the measure, as the legislature has a veto override session scheduled for April 14 and 15. And the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) is encouraging Kentucky gun owners to make opinions known to their lawmakers about HB 312 and another measure vetoed by the governor. That legislation, House Bill 78, would provide critical liability protections for firearm industry members from third-party misuse of products they manufacture or sell,
“It would seem that Gov. Beshear would rather recycle boilerplate gun control talking points than listen to the will of the people of Kentucky,” NRA-ILA wrote in an alert.
NRA-ILA has provided a form where Kentucky gun owners can electronically sign on to a letter urging lawmakers to override Gov. Beshear’s vetoes and allow the bills to become law. While the bill’s margins in both chambers fell short of the two-thirds threshold typically needed in other states, the Kentucky General Assembly can override a governor’s veto with a simple majority vote (51 in the House, 20 in the Senate) in both chambers.