Harmon Files Concealed Carry Bill

Former Republican lieutenant governor candidate and state Rep. Mike Harmon, R-Danville, has filed a bill allowing Kentucky residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit.The legislation would make the unlicensed carrying of a hidden deadly weapon legal and prohibit employers from having no-firearms policies that apply to buildings or parking areas. It also forbids companies from disciplining employees who have firearms in their vehicles or who use them for self-defense.Harmon says certain restrictions to carrying conceal weapons will still apply to schools and judicial areas, but the bill is about securing Second Amendment rights."I do believe it’s a self-defense issue. It’s one of those things where obviously someone can transport a firearm, but if they have it in a car and they pull up somewhere and park it puts them in a position where they can’t transport that so when they get home or go somewhere else it’s difficult to have it with them," he says.State law already allows for individuals to openly carry firearms in most public places, including the state capitol in Frankfort. The bill failed to receive a vote in the House Judiciary Committee last year, but Harmon is confident it will receive additional GOP support and pass the Democratic-controlled House."You know I think anytime that we can reduce the amount of government interference in our life the better off that we’re going to be," he says. "We shouldn’t be making criminals out of individuals who are law-abiding citizens."