New Polling: Nine In Ten Kentucky Gun Owners Support State’s Permitting System To Carry A Concealed Handgun In Public

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Today, Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America released new polling conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of Everytown. The results indicate that 91 percent of Kentuckians and 90 percent of gun owners in the state support the current state law requiring a permit and safety training in order to carry a concealed handgun in public. The poll comes ahead of an expected hearing in the Kentucky House Judiciary committee on SB 150, which would dismantle Kentucky’s concealed carry permitting system.

“This polling data confirms what we already know: The people of Kentucky do not want their lawmakers putting the public’s safety at risk by passing this dangerous bill,” said Connie Coartney, volunteer leader with the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “The House needs to vote this down immediately.”

Among other findings, the poll found that:

• 90 percent of Kentucky voters and 90 percent of Kentucky gun owners support the current law requiring a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public;
• 67 percent of Kentucky voters oppose SB 150, which would dismantle Kentucky’s permitting system;
• 72 percent of Kentucky voters would be less likely to vote for legislators who support permitless carry; and
• Support for Kentucky’s permitting system has widespread bipartisan support — 87 percent of strong Republicans and 92 percent of strong Democrats support the current permitting system in Kentucky.

SB 150 would do away with the current requirement that law enforcement conduct criminal background checks and ensure that applicants have completed safety training before issuing a carry permit. This would make it easy for convicted felons, domestic abusers and others who could not pass a background check to carry hidden, loaded guns throughout the state. This dangerous bill would also make it legal for some convicted violent criminals — who are now generally disqualified from obtaining a permit — to carry hidden,loaded guns throughout Kentucky. Passage of this bill would make Kentucky one of only a handful of states to abandon the core safety standards that are ensured by the state’s concealed carry permit system. States that have enacted permitless carry laws have seen a substantial increase in firearm violence.