Permitless concealed carry gets second round approval

The Nebraska Legislature gave second-round approval Tuesday night to a proposal allowing Nebraskans to carry concealed weapons without a permit.

Tuesday’s debate was for the most part a repeat of what senators said the first time the bill was debated. Supporters said gun-owners should not be required to obtain a permit and take a training class in order to exercise a constitutional right. Opponents said repealing those requirements would lead to an upsurge in gun violence.

Sen. Jane Raybould brought up the latest mass shooting, an attack that killed three students and three staff Monday at a school in Nashville.

“What we heard from Nashville, Tennessee is nothing but tragic. Senseless. Heinous. Disturbing. But preventable. Another school shooting where innocent children and teachers are slaughtered. When is enough, enough?” Raybould asked.

Sen. Tom Brewer, chief sponsor of the gun bill, argued that having someone else with a gun in the school would have helped, although he got the city wrong.

“All these shootings happen in gun-free zones, especially the schools. Do you think that a school that has a resource officer has a less or a higher probability of someone doing what happened yesterday in Memphis?” Brewer asked.

Time: 21

After four hours of debate, lawmakers voted 33-10 for cloture and 31-10 to give the bill second-round approval. It needs one more round of approval before being sent to Gov. Jim Pillen.