Yesterday, under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves (R) and state Senator Giles Ward (R), the Mississippi Senate approved NRA-supported legislation that corrects vague and problematic language in Mississippi’s firearm carry laws, sending this measure to Governor Phil Bryant (R).
House Bill 2, sponsored by state Representative Andy Gipson (R-Brandon) in the House and managed by Ward in the Senate, addresses a recent opinion by state Attorney General Jim Hood (D) that has caused confusion and concern among carry permit holders and Second Amendment advocates. According to this opinion, it is now unlawful for both regular and enhanced carry permit holders to carry holstered, partially-visible pistols on their person. Additionally, any permit holder who temporarily or accidentally displays their pistol - when removing or adjusting a suit jacket or sport coat, for example - would be violating the law.
HB 2 will eliminate confusion by striking the phrase “in whole or in part” after the word “concealed” where it appears in Section 97-37-1 of Mississippi law prohibiting the carrying of certain firearms or other deadly weapons. It also more clearly defines the term “concealed” for carry permit holders and non-permittees alike. Without the changes in HB 2, Mississippi laws that are supposed to protect the right to carry firearms for personal defense instead set legal traps for otherwise law-abiding citizens: a firearm carried by a person without a carry permit cannot be obscured, and any part of a pistol carried by a permit holder cannot become visible. For more information on the pro-gun reforms included in HB 2, click here.
Thank you to all NRA members who called and e-mailed their elected officials in support of this important measure.
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