My priority bill this session was LB 773. This would have passed a “constitutional carry” law in Nebraska. Law-abiding citizens would no longer have to apply for a permit and pay money to exercise a constitutionally-protected right to carry a concealed weapon. We would have become the twenty-sixth state to pass this law. Over 120 million Americans live under this law today including every state we share a border with except Colorado. It failed the cloture motion on a 31-6 vote. 33 votes were needed to end the filibuster. Six senators were present not voting. Three senators were excused.  

Citizens can see the vote here:

https://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_votes.php?KeyID=8166 

I would like to thank my staff and the thousands of freedom-loving Nebraskans citizens who poured so much of their heart and soul into this effort. All the volunteers and the many gun rights groups are the reason we came within two votes of passing this. No bill like this one has ever made it this far in the unicameral. We knew it was going to be close and hoped to have the 33 votes to bring it over the finish line but that didn’t happen.  I will re-introduce this legislation again next year. It will again be my priority bill.  We have new group of senators coming in and hopefully we can get this done.   

LB 773 was a bill about people, not guns. And it’s not just about any people. It’s about law-abiding people. LB 773 had nothing to do with criminals, or those citizens who have made serious mistakes in their life and lost their gun rights. “Prohibited persons” cannot lawfully own or possess a firearm. This bill has nothing to do with these issues.  We already have stacks of laws that carry severe penalties for people who do unlawful things with guns.

The bill was about the constitutionally-protected rights of law-abiding citizens. It said that if you are a law-abiding citizen you do not have to ask permission from the government and pay money in order to use your constitutionally-protected Second Amendment rights. I would like the  reader to stop and think of any other constitutionally-protected right you have to ask permission from the government to use. Did I need a First Amendment permit to write this newspaper article? 

The Second Amendment in the U.S. Constitution and Article One of the Nebraska Constitution both say this right shall not be infringed. I took an oath to protect and defend this right. and will continue to do so.