Advocates on both sides of a bill to repeal the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun spoke to state lawmakers at a public hearing this morning.

After the hearing, the Alabama Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill on a 6-4 vote, moving it into consideration for a vote by the full Senate.

The bill is by Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, who has sponsored it for years. But it has never made it all the way through the Legislature. Alabama law enforcement officials have mainly opposed it.

It’s legal in Alabama to openly carry a handgun. But to carry a concealed gun or a loaded gun in a vehicle requires a permit from a county sheriff.

Allen and representatives of several gun rights organizations spoke in favor of the bill, saying that people should not have to get permission for an activity that’s protected by the 2nd Amendment. They said criminals don’t buy permits anyway and the requirement only restricts law-abiding citizens who want to carry a weapon for protection.

Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham and Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones spoke in opposition to the bill, saying the permit requirement is an important tool for law enforcement.

Sheriff also depend on pistol permit fees to help support their operations.

Dana Ellis of Hoover, a volunteer leader with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, which promotes policies to reduce gun violence, and Sonny Brasfield, executive director of the Association of County Commissions of Alabama, also spoke in opposition to the bill.

“Lawmakers who support eliminating the permitting system that keeps us safe don’t stand for Alabama voters,” Ellis said in a statement released by the organization. “What this comes down to is responsible gun ownership. If you want to carry a concealed gun in public, you should go through a background check.”

Chris McNutt of the National Association of Gun Rights, who testified for the bill, said 15 other states have “constitutional carry,” or no requirement for a permit to carry a concealed gun. McNutt said they are Arizona, Alaska, Wyoming, West Virginia, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Kentucky, and North Dakota.

Beth Alcazar of the United States Concealed Carry Association and of Bama Carry, said she teaches women how to use handguns for protection. Alcazar, noting that openly carrying a handgun is legal, said it makes no sense to require a permit just because a gun in concealed by clothing.

Voting in favor of the bill today were Sens. Greg Albritton, R-Atmore; Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville; Larry Stutts, R-Sheffield; Arthur Orr, R-Decatur; Will Barfoot, R-Montgomery; and Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, the committee chairman.

Voting against it were Sens. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham; Malika Sanders-Fortier, D-Selma; Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro; and Tom Whatley, R-Auburn.

Whatley said he voted against the bill to make a statement about another issue, what he said was a lack of action on road projects since the Legislature approved an increase in the state fuel tax last year. Allen, sponsor of the pistol permit bill, chairs the Senate Transportation and Energy Committee.

“Why are we spending time on this when we could be fixing roads and bridges?” Whatley said.