New bill would require Alabamians acquire permit before carrying assault weapons

BY ALEXANDER WILLIS

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — A new bill filed recently would require Alabamians to obtain a permit to carry assault weapons, either on their person or in their vehicle.

Filed by Rep. Kenyatte Hassell, D-Montgomery, House Bill 23 defines an assault weapon as a semiautomatic rifle with the capacity to accept detachable magazines that possess at least one of six attributes, among them being a folding stock or second handgrip.

The bill also applies to semiautomatic pistols, rifles and shotguns that have at least one of several attributes, among them being a second handgrip.

“I think it’s happening everywhere, but specifically Montgomery, you’ve got these guys going to the gas stations (with) assault weapons in their trunks,” Hassell told Alabama Daily News recently.

“We’ve got people in neighborhoods walking down the street with their assault weapons. I don’t have a problem with you having them, but I just want you to at least get a permit. We just need some type of precaution because it’s putting a lot of fear into the citizens around here.”

The bill stipulates that Alabamians can acquire an assault weapon permit at their local sheriff’s office, and that a violation of the proposed law would constitute a Class C felony, punishable with up to ten years in prison.

The bill is one of many filed by Democratic state lawmakers in recent years, such as House Bill 36, a bill sponsored by Rep. Phil Ensler, D-Montgomery, that would have banned pistols modified with trigger activators, a weapon modification that allows a semiautomatic firearm to fire at rates similar to that of a fully-automatic weapon.

Ensler’s bill failed to come up for a vote in the Senate, and while it did manage to narrowly pass out of the House, it was met with considerable opposition from House Republicans, many of whom expressed concerns that it violated the Second Amendment. Ensler has vowed to refile it in 2025, and told ADN recently that Hassell’s bill had his support as well.

“I fully support his bill and commend his efforts to try and address some of the most dangerous and deadly aspects of gun violence,” Ensler told ADN.

Ensler’s bill did score the endorsement of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, however, declined to weigh in on Hassell’s bill due to it being pre-filed, with an ALEA spokesperson telling ADN Tuesday that the agency does not comment on pending legislation.

Hassell said he anticipates similar opposition next year when HB23 is deliberated on, however, hopes to quell concerns by stressing the narrow focus and intent of his bill.

“Even though I know I’m still going to get opposition on it, that’s going to be my case, to say, we’re suffering in our inner cities with this,” he said. “We got people (that) pull up in their cars at the gas station, pulling them out, waving them around. So I’m trying to target that.”

Rep. Ron Bolton, R-Northport, supported Ensler’s bill to ban handguns modified with trigger activators earlier this year, but told ADN on Monday that Hassell’s bill was a hard sell.

“I would not be in favor of it,” Bolton said, speaking to Hassell’s bill. “I honestly don’t know if there’s any way that they could fix it to where I would be.”

As to whether he thought House Republicans could be convinced to support Hassell’s bill, Bolton said he was doubtful.

Gun violence has increased in Alabama over the years, with the rate of gun deaths increasing by 54% from 2012 to 2021, significantly higher than the 39% increase nationally during the same time frame.

Alabama also has a higher rate of homicide gun deaths when compared to national data, with 47% of gun deaths in Alabama between 2018 and 2021 being homicides, and 49% being suicides, compared 57% and 40%, respectively.