The House has suspended its rules and taken up HB 301, the concealed carry bill sponsored by Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale. The bill revises and streamlines Idaho’s existing concealed-weapon permit laws, and removes the requirement to be engaged in a “lawful outdoor activity” in order to carry concealed gun without a permit outside city limits. That means concealed weapon permits would be required only inside city limits in Idaho. The bill, unlike an earlier version, leaves in place an exemption for elected officials, allowing them to carry concealed guns without permits.

Boyle told the House the bill repeals and re-enacts the laws, while reorganizing them. “The Legislature only has the ability to regulate carry-concealed licenses, not open carry,” she said. “So this bill does not affect open carry whatsoever.”

“We moved things around a lot so it flowed easier,” Boyle said. “We’ve had complaints for years about the public and law enforcement not being able to fully understand this part of the code. So right off we put definitions up front, because things weren’t clearly defined. And then we go into private property rights. So this defines where you need a concealed weapons license and where you don’t.”

The bill also standardizes fees for concealed weapons permits, she said, which now vary by county. “Because your right to bear arms is a constitutional right, it is not fair that that be used as a tax-generating mechanism,” Boyle said.