After hours of testimony, committee fails motion to advance constitutional‑carry bill and later postpones it indefinitely

The House Judiciary Committee received extended testimony on House Bill 26‑12‑12, a constitutional‑carry measure that would eliminate the concealed‑carry permitting requirement for most adults (sponsors proposed lowering the age in some provisions to 18), convert existing permits to a lifetime privilege and preempt local carry restrictions.

Sponsors framed the bill as restoring a core constitutional right and removing what they called a ‘‘t‑shirt tax’’ on concealed carry — an administrative and financial barrier that disproportionately burdens lower‑income residents. They cited other states with permitless carry and argued there was no clear causal link between permitless carry and violence in those jurisdictions.

Opponents urged rejection. Public‑safety witnesses and advocacy groups said eliminating mandatory training, renewal checks, and sheriff discretion could increase accidental shootings, escalate routine disputes and raise suicide risk; they pointed to research associating more permissive carry rules with increased firearm assaults and higher youth suicide rates. Faith, public-health and victim‑advocacy witnesses recounted personal and community harms tied to firearm availability.

Committee debate focused on the bill’s age floor, background-check timing, the effect of converting permits to lifetime status (removing periodic renewals and re‑checks), and which state or federal prohibitions would remain. After sponsor closing remarks, the committee voted on a motion to advance the bill to the Committee of the Whole; that motion failed on a roll call. A later motion to postpone the bill indefinitely was then offered and passed on reverse roll call, effectively shelving the proposal for this session.

What’s next: HB 26‑12‑12 was postponed indefinitely. Sponsors and opponents indicated they will continue outreach and discussions during the interim.