Preemption Reform Continues to Progress in Arizona

Preemption reform legislation, House Bill 2543, passed its final reading in the Senate today by a vote of 20 to 9 with one absent vote.  The bill will now go to the Governor’s desk for her consideration, after confirmation from the House. 

HB 2543 would strengthen Arizona’s preemption statute by removing unnecessarily burdensome restrictions on the transportation and possession of firearms, keeping local towns and cities from passing restrictive ordinances against carry or possession of firearms, and providing future protection for lawful storage of firearms, ammunition and ammunition components.

If not for a strong and uniform state preemption law, the result can be a complex patchwork of restrictions that change from one local jurisdiction to the next.  It is unreasonable to require citizens, whether residents of Arizona or someone visiting Arizona, to memorize myriad laws and possibly violate a local ordinance even though it was clear there was no criminal intent.

Constitutional carry legislation, Senate Bill 1108/House Bill 2347 was expected to be considered but was passed over for the day due to time constraints.  However, these bills could be voted on as early as tomorrow so please continue contacting your State Representative and urge him or her to support SB 1108 and HB 2347.

Currently, under Arizona law it is generally legal to carry a firearm openly as long as you are 18 years of age and not prohibited from possessing a firearm.  However, if the firearm becomes covered, say with a coat, or if you are a woman and prefer to carry your firearm in your purse, you need to possess a concealed carry permit.  The intent of this legislation is to give people the greatest possible freedom to choose the best method of carry for them.    

Under Arizona’s current constitution, Article 2, Section 26 clearly states that “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself or the state shall not be impaired…”  The intention of this language could not be clearer.

Contact information for your State Representatives can be found by clicking here.