

MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- Alabama lawmakers this afternoon gave final approval to sweeping gun legislation that, among other things, would stop employers from prohibiting workers from having guns in their cars while at work.

The House voted 73-28 to approve a conference committee version of the bill.

Rep. Ed Henry, R-Hartselle, said the bill was needed to make sure that people have access to weapons to defend themselves including on long drives to work.

"It's up to you to protect yourself,” Henry said.

The bill would prohibit employers from prohibiting their workers from bringing guns into workplace parking lots provided the firearm is out of sight, locked in the car and other conditions are met.

A concealed carry permit would be required for pistols. A rifle or other weapon used for hunting could only be carried during hunting season, and would require a valid hunting license or a concealed carry permit.

Rep. Napoleon Bracy, D-Prichard, noted that many companies that Alabama spent large sums to recruit, for security reasons, prohibit firearms on company property.

"So what we are basically doing is changing a company's policy?" Bracy asked.

"What we are doing is we are prohibiting a company from violating somebody's constitutional right to keep and bear arms," Henry replied.

The bill is supported by the National Rifle Association but opposed by the Business Council of Alabama.

Lawmakers gave business groups the legal immunity they had sought for workplace shootings but not the opt-out clause they had sought.

"The BCA strongly maintains that all amendments to the Constitution of the United States are applied equally, with none having precedence over another. The Fifth Amendment rights of property owners are equally as important as the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Without an Opt-out provision we could not support this legislation," BCA President and CEO William J. Canary said in a statement.

Legislators pushed the bill to expand gun rights under the backdrop of a national debate over gun control. Sen. Scott Beason, the sponsor of the original bill, said he pushed the bill to clarify Alabama's law regarding the open carrying of weapons and to make sure law-abiding citizens had access to weapons.

Alabama sheriffs supported the compromise bill after dubbing an original version the "road rage bill" because it would not have required a concealed carry permit to transport a loaded pistol in a vehicle.





The proposal would:

- State that the mere carrying of a visible, holstered or secured pistol in public is not a crime of disorderly conduct.

- Change the law regarding carrying a pistol in a vehicle. A concealed carry permit would still be required to carry a loaded pistol in the car. A permit would not be required if the pistol is unloaded and locked in a compartment that is attached to the car and out of reach of the driver and passenger.

- Limit sheriffs' discretion in denying applications for a concealed carry permit and establish an appeals process for denials. Beason said they sought to change Alabama from a "may issue" to a "shall issue" state. He said the current bill could be considered "shmay."

The legislation now goes to Gov. Robert Bentley for his signature.

"Governor Bentley is a strong supporter of our Constitutional rights, including the Second Amendment. As with all bills, we will thoroughly review this legislation, " said Jeremy King. Bentley's director of communications.