Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has done a good job of presenting himself to the media as a centrist Democrat. However, it’s also pretty clear that no matter where he stands on other issues, he’s in absolute lockstep with the most radical parts of the party on guns. After all, he vetoed two measures that were pro-gun, but shouldn’t have been remotely controversial.
Unfortunately for Beshear, he’s the governor of Kentucky, and the legislature feels very differently about the Second Amendment.
Kentucky lawmakers have overridden dozens of vetoes from Gov. Andy Beshear this week, including House Bill 312, which will allow 18- to 20-year-olds to get a permit to conceal-carry firearms.
Michael Lewis, who owns Wolfgar Concealment and teaches firearm safety, supported the bill. He said the legislation helps ensure responsible gun ownership.
“Even without this legislation, they can get in possession of [a firearm]. This legislation is making sure that it’s regulated. It’s it’s monitored,” Lewis said. “I would much rather have somebody that’s, that’s educated and trained carrying a gun than just getting a firearm from a relative or whatever path that they get it, and they’re out there untrained.”
They also overrode the veto on House Bill 78, which offers protections for the gun industry from ridiculous lawsuits, a bill that’s a response to other states trying to circumvent federal law barring most of these lawsuits in the first place.
This was pretty big, but the truth is that there is a supermajority in Kentucky, and there’s no reason they should just let an anti-gun governor decide to jam up the restoration of gun rights to the people of the state. Especially when what was passed is ridiculously mild compared to what most of us pro-gun folks want.
I want constitutional carry for all adults who aren’t violent felons. This requires a permit for adults under 21, which requires training, and so it’s really pretty mild, especially as noted, those same adults can possess a handgun lawfully. In order to truly respect their right to keep and bear arms, they have to be able to bear them.
Now, they’ll be able to.
And the gun rights groups are pretty happy about it.
“Kentucky’s legislators are standing with the rule of law, and this veto override corrects the wrong Governor Beshear set into motion when he vetoed this commonsense legislation,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President & General Counsel, regarding House Bill 78. “Governor Beshear acknowledged when he vetoed this bill that this legislation would prevent frivolous and harassing lawsuits for violence committed by criminals. Governor Beshear chose to stand with special interest gun control groups that would abuse our courts to advance gun control legislation through litigation. Kentucky’s legislators stood with the rule of law, that those who commit heinous criminal acts are the ones who should be held responsible.”
“We are both delighted and proud of the Kentucky legislators who returned to Frankfort for these important votes,” said Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “By overriding Gov. Beshear’s vetoes, lawmakers in the Bluegrass State have exercised common sense by rejecting political nonsense, which prefers to penalize a lawful industry for criminal misuse of its products, while also practicing age discrimination against young adults by denying them their full rights of citizenship.
“What happened in Kentucky should be considered a signal to the anti-rights extremists to stop blaming an entire industry for the country’s violent crime problem,” he continued, “and to also stop restricting the rights of an entire age class, which can serve in the military, start businesses, get married and run for office. “
Both of these are big wins for the people of Kentucky, regardless of Beshear’s best efforts.
Honestly, if the Democrats ever hope to shake the mantle of the anti-gun party, they might need to start electing people who aren’t anti-gun. Beshear is considered a centrist, yet he couldn’t wrap his head around legal adults under 21 carrying a firearm, and his justification was the actions of a 25-year-old mass shooter who wanted gun control.
You can’t make this stuff up. No one would believe it if you did, yet here we are.
Luckily, the legsilators in the Blue Grass State stepped up and did the right thing.
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