In a significant victory for Second Amendment advocates, constitutional carry was signed into law by Gov. Kay Ivey on Thursday.

The bill ends the requirement of law-abiding citizens to purchase a permit from county sheriff’s offices in order to legally carry a concealed firearm in the state of Alabama. Those who wish to obtain a pistol permit to legally possess a firearm out-of-state may continue to do so.

Sponsored by State Rep. Shane Stringer (R-Citronelle), the permitless carry legislation was passed by the Alabama House of Representatives late last month. A variation of Stringer’s legislation was passed by the Senate last week.

House and Senate lawmakers met in conference committee Thursday afternoon to hash out differences in each chamber’s version of the legislation, eventually reaching an agreement and sending the bill to Ivey’s desk.

In a statement, Ivey reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to defending Alabamians’ Second Amendment rights.

“Unlike states who are doing everything in their power to make it harder for law abiding citizens, Alabama is reaffirming our commitment to defending our Second Amendment rights,” proclaimed Ivey. “I have always stood up for the rights of law abiding gunowners, and I am proud to do that again today.”

Stringer last year was ousted from his position as captain in the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office due to his support of the measure. Stringer, alongside State Rep. Andrew Sorrell (R-Muscle Shoals), garnered more than 40 House cosponsors for the legislative effort.

In a statement celebrating the passage of his bill, Stringer asserted that fees levied upon government-required pistol permits were a form of a “gun tax.”

“I am deeply thankful to my colleagues in the Legislature for passing this constitutional carry measure, which allows Alabamians to exercise their fundamental rights without first having to pay a gun tax in the form of permit fees,” said Stringer. “Those who still wish to purchase a permit for reciprocity with other states or other reasons continue to retain that option under this law.”

According to Stringer, solidifying the citizenry’s Second Amendment rights is vital in ensuring the right to self-defense.

“The COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, riots in major cities across the nation, rising crime rates, and other factors have made securing and protecting our Second Amendment rights more important now than ever before,” added Stringer. “Alabamians understand that Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, AOC, and activist judges want to make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to own and carry firearms for their own protection even while the criminals among us thumb their noses at the gun laws already on the books.”

“Constitutional carry shields average Alabamians from attacks on their gun rights and provides them an added layer of protection against the lawless who may wish to do them harm,” continued Stringer. “In 2021, the Legislature passed a new statute creating a statewide database of individuals who are prohibited from purchasing a firearm because of a felony conviction or other reason, and law enforcement officers will be able to instantly access the information in real-time while on patrol.

He concluded, “The men and women who wear a badge and protect our streets will now have the ability to determine who should and should not carry a firearm without having to ask them to show a permit. As a 30-year veteran of law enforcement, ensuring officer safety was my top priority when crafting this bill.”

State Sen. Gerald Allen (R-Tuscaloosa), who carried the legislation in the upper chamber, praised the collaborative effort among Republicans to see to the bill’s passage.

“The right to bear arms is a fundamental right afforded to the American people by the United States Constitution,” declared Allen. “As an elected official, it is my duty to do everything within my power to uphold the rights granted to us by the Founding Fathers in this governing document. I am honored to have the opportunity to work each day on behalf of my constituents to uphold the constitutions of this state and country and preserve the rights of Alabamians.”

“The people of Alabama have long voiced their desire for constitutional carry in the state, and for years, I have pushed to ensure their voices were heard in the legislature,” Allen added. “I am proud to say that today the Senate and House of Representatives collaborated on an issue of paramount importance for many Alabamians, and we approved substantial policy to address the cares and concerns of those individuals that we were elected to represent. I appreciate Representative Shane Stringer for working with me on this issue and leading this effort in the House, and I eagerly await Governor Kay Ivey’s signature on this monumental piece of legislation.”

Despite opposition from Democrats and various progressive groups, the supermajority Republicans enjoy in the legislature proved too much to halt the bill’s passage. The House Republican Caucus included constitutional carry as priority legislation in its legislative agenda it unveiled prior to the 2022 regular legislative session.

The National Association for Gun Rights, a self-proclaimed “non-compromise” pro-Second Amendment organization, actively campaigned in the Yellowhammer State to combat those in opposition to the effort.

Association president Dudley Brown deemed its Alabama membership’s lobbying efforts as being beneficial in seeing that the legislation passed.

“This is a great day for gun owners in Alabama as their constitutional right to bear arms without government infringement will soon be restored,” stated Brown. “And it’s thanks in part to the tireless work of National Association for Gun Rights members in Alabama lobbying their lawmakers – demanding Alabama become the next Constitutional Carry state.”

Alabama is the 22nd state in the nation to enshrine constitutional carry into law.

Dylan Smith is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @DylanSmithAL