Alaska - Committee Approves Bill To Amend Right To Carry

Senate Bill 242, which seeks to amend Alaska’s Right to Carry law so that permits from all other states would be honored, was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee this week on a 5-0 vote. Existing law charges the Department of Public Safety with determining and publicizing which states currently meet Alaska’s criteria for recognition. DPS inaction is what led to the introduction of SB 242. During the hearing, DPS faced tough questioning and was so much on the defensive, they never got any points across in opposition to the bill. Faced with this bill, DPS has finally started complying with existing law and has increased the list of recognized states from seven to 11 in the last two weeks, with more likely to come in the near future. SB 242 will be heard on the Senate floor next week, so contact your Senator through his Local Legislative Information Office and urge him to support SB 242. Also, House Bill 346, the companion bill to SB 242, will be heard in the House State Affairs Committee next Thursday, so contact your State Representative as well.