A bill that would allow people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit or training has been advanced by a Senate committee in Kentucky.
The measure is backed by the powerful National Rifle Association.
The committee action Thursday coincided with the first anniversary of a Florida shooting that killed 17 students and staff members.
A critic of the bill, Connie Coartney, said Kentucky lawmakers marked the anniversary by advancing "more dangerous gun legislation and doing the bidding" for the NRA. She is with the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
Supporters say people already can carry weapons openly without training.
Sen. Brandon Smith, the bill's sponsor, said it's not fair that someone now needs a permit if they carry a gun under a coat.