A state Senate committee voted on Tuesday to eliminate a permit requirement for people who want to carry a concealed gun.
Current state law requires people to be at least 21 years old and take a firearms safety class before they can get a concealed carry permit. Republicans like Senator Danny Britt want to allow anyone who hasn't been convicted of certain crimes to carry concealed guns if they're over 18.
"Law abiding citizens should be allowed to constitutionally carry. We believe they should be able to constitutionally carry without having to jump through the hoops that you do for a concealed carry permit," he said.
But Democrats like Senator Mujtaba Mohammed say the change would endanger law enforcement officers and the public. They argue the permit requirement helps police take action against people who shouldn't be carrying a concealed gun.
He said, "You're going to kill police officers with this bill."
A similar bill passed House committees two years ago but didn't make it to a floor vote. This year, Senate leader Phil Berger says he supports the change.