MONTGOMERY — One of the hot-button topics being debated in the Alabama legislature this year is how to modernize the state’s concealed carry firearm permitting process.

Under current law, the individual 67 sheriffs in Alabama are responsible for issuing those permits however they see fit, which according to some lends itself to confusion and in some cases lax-issuing practices.

State Representative Proncey Robertson (R-Mt. Hope) sat down with Yellowhammer News for an interview that aired on Huntsville radio’s WVNN to lobby for his effort, which would give more authority to the state in the process.

Robertson’s bill standardizes the issuing process and checks applicants’ qualifications for the permit up against other databases that may disqualify an applicant for the permit using infrastructure that would be provided through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

According to the Lawrence County lawmaker, that is currently lacking in the current processes conducted by the state’s sheriffs.

“The bill I’ve offered is HB39, as a companion of SB, or Senate Bill 47 from Sen. Randy Price, and I think it is the balance to a lot of this,” Robertson said. “By no means are we trying to do any type of registration of guns, or weapons themselves. It is the same process that you would do now, as far as if you want a concealed carry permit. You still go to your sheriff and apply — same application. There may be some tweaks in the sense to try to standardize that, and that’s the idea.”

“Right now, the 67 sheriffs handle that completely independently — in other words, county by county by county,” he continued. “Each sheriff has his own application, may have his own system in county, a vendor he has maybe hired to set that up, hold the information from those who are purchasing permits and to contact them. Some are as elaborate as you can buy them online already — Madison County, Lee County have those services for the public. And others may be as simple as you fill out a handwritten application, slide it under the window to the nice lady at the clerk’s office there and they check your background.”

“Having said that, what does that mean?” he said. “Each sheriff does his own background and has a great deal of discretion.”

Robertson’s proposal also offers a lifetime permit for $200, with a reduced fee for senior citizens.

@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.