A bill that would bring permitless carry to the Yellowhammer State sailed through the Alabama House on Tuesday. 

The measure, House Bill 272, aims to make Alabama the latest state to recognize that only the Second Amendment, not a government-issued permit, is needed to legally carry a concealed firearm. The proposal, backed by state Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronelle, passed in an easy roll call. 

"This vote was a win for the 2nd Amendment!" said Stringer on social media. "HB 272 (Constitutional Carry) just passed the house 65 to 37. 2/22/22 marks a major step for Alabama becoming the 22nd state to pass this legislation."

While national anti-gun groups – backed by billionaire former Democrat presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg – wildly derided HB 272 as "choosing violence over public safety and jeopardizing the wellbeing of our communities," the NRA hailed it as a victory. 

"Constitutional carry strengthens Alabamians’ right to self-defense by allowing any law-abiding adult who is at least 21-years-old and legally eligible to obtain a carry permit, to carry a handgun without first having to obtain government permission," said the NRA-ILA in a statement. "This ensures that citizens have their right to self-defense without red tape, delays, or fees. It does not change who is eligible to obtain a carry permit. It also does not affect previously issued permits, and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit in order to carry in other states recognizing Alabama’s permits, to do so."

The bill now heads to the state Senate, where a similar proposal sponsored by state Sen. Gerald Allen, R-Tuscaloosa, is already under consideration. 

Banner image: Glock 43 9mm in a Safariland 575 GLS IWB holster. (Photo: Chris Eger/Guns.com)