Bill would allow Nebraskans to conceal-carry a weapon without a permit

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Right now, to carry a concealed weapon in Nebraska, you have to fill out an application that asks questions like past felony convictions or history of mental illness. You also have to take a training course and undergo a background check. However, LB 77 would get rid of all of that.

It’s often called “constitutional carry.”

“All of us have the right to bear arms for our safety for the lawful common-sense, hunting, and recreational use,” State Sen. Tom Brewer said.

Brewer introduced LB77 -- the sixth year in a row he’s tried to get a bill on the matter passed.

Several Nebraskans lined up Thursday and said they shouldn’t have to pay fees and ask the state’s permission to exercise their Second Amendment right.

“We have the bill of rights and none of those rights we have to pay a fee and exercise that right,” resident Bruce Desautel said.

“As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, a right delayed is a right denied,” resident Aaron Clements said.

Brewer argued gun control laws only control people who obey the law in the first place. However, the bill’s biggest opposition comes from Omaha police chief Todd Schmaderer and several others who said it could impact their ability to fight crime.

“As chief, this concerns me because we do not want to reverse our crime downward trend,” Schmaderer said.

If passed, gun owners still wouldn’t be able to conceal-carry in places like schools and hospitals. It’ll need 33 votes to overcome a filibuster. Similar legislation fell two votes shy last year.