State representatives voted Tuesday to scrap requirements for refresher courses for those licensed to carry concealed weapons.
The 33-24 vote comes less than a year after legislators cut that retraining requirement in half, to just two hours every five years. The move, if approved by the Senate and signed by the governor, would make the permits good for life if the owner pays a $65 renewal fee every five years and hasn’t had legal trouble in the interim.
Tuesday’s vote on HB2074 came over the objections of several legislators, including one who has one of the nearly 73,000 Arizona permits that allow holders to have a weapon in public places concealed from view.
Rep. Russ Jones, R-Yuma, pointed out that the laws on gun use change from year to year.
He specifically mentioned pending legislation to broaden the scope of situations where someone can legally use deadly force.
And Jones told colleagues he had no problem voting last year to cut the training in half, saying “some of what was being taught was not necessarily to the point.’’
Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Mesa, sponsor of the legislation, said it would be just as easy for the state to mail updates on gun laws.
