Ideally no license would be needed to lawfully carry in the first place, but even if permitless carry passes the legislature it faces a certain veto by Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
So, for now shall-issue concealed carry remains the law of the land in the Keystone State, and one lawmaker believes he has a way to streamline and improve the system.
Rep. Zachary Mako, R-Northampton, said last week he plans to introduce legislation that would make obtaining a concealed carry permit easier for people who live in rural areas where the distance to a neighboring county seat may be less than their own. He said he is proposing the change in response to concerns from a constituent in his Lehigh Valley district.
The constituent resides three miles away from the Carbon County line in Northampton County. However, to apply for a conceal carry permit, he would need to travel to his county's sheriff office in Easton, which would be twice the distance,' Mako said in a memo seeking cosponsors for the proposed bill.
... 'This is a frustrating procedure that many Pennsylvanians face on a daily basis, and it is an unnecessary burden. With my proposed legislation, it would eliminate the inconvenience so that Pennsylvanians, much like my constituent, can apply at a sheriff's office much closer to their primary residence,' Mako said.
Honestly, I'm used to driving 20 miles to get to... well, almost anything, so the difference between three and six miles doesn't sound like that big a deal to me, but there is another reason why Mako's bill would be beneficial to Pennsylvanians.
The city of Philadelphia has repeatedly played games with issuing concealed carry in the past. Former Mayor John Street, for instance, tried to halt the issuance of concealed carry licenses when crime spiked during his tenure, and the city did stop processing permit applications in 2020, citing the COVID pandemic as the reason for closing the offices.
Philly was sued by Firearms Policy Coalition and ultimately settled instead of defending the closures in court, but there's no reason to believe city officials won't play games with the right to cary in the future. Mako's bill, if it becomes law, would make that a non-issue because any Philadelphian thwarted by a future refusal to accept or process carry applications would be able to travel to suburban collar counties and apply there while the inevitable lawsuit against Philadelphia played out.
Are there any downsides to Mako's proposal? None that I can see, which makes me wonder what argument the anti-gunners will use to oppose it. Heck, this is even an environmentally friendly idea, since it will mean less time on the road and less carbon emission.
I could even see Pennsylvania's anti-gun governor signing this into law, unlike permitless carry. This doesn't change who can bear arms or any other aspect of the current concealed carry statute, after all. It simply makes it a little easier for some residents to submit their application.
Shapiro's savvy enough to try to appear moderate on gun issues (including a recent appearance on Ted Nugent's Real America's Voice show to discuss the end of the state's ban on Sunday hunting), so it wouldn't be a stretch for him to make a play towards rural voters by turning Mako's bill into law. First, though, this has to make it to Shapiro's desk, and in order for that to happen Pennsylvania gun owners should be contacting their House and Senate members and urge them to get behind this common sense measure.
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