Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
The constitutional carry bill’s most significant change is to allow people to carry a gun more quickly if need arises. Sheriff’s departments in Alabama try to issue concealed handgun permits within 30 days after someone has met the requirements. If a woman is being stalked or threatened, she may not have time to wait for a license.
Unfortunately, to make matters even worse, Alabama stopped issuing permits at the end of December due to “technical issues.” While the problem only lasted a couple of days, it illustrates a problem that can happen during emergencies, precisely the time when people might need to be able to protect themselves and their families the most.