Alabama Lawmaker Wants To Make Gun Ownership A State Constitutional Right

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) – A proposed change to the Alabama Constitution would make gun ownership a fundamental right in the state.

The proposal also would subject any state gun-control measures to the toughest review by the courts.

Rep. Mike Jones is the Andalusia Republican who sponsored the proposed constitutional amendment. He says it puts added protections for the right to bear arms into the Alabama Constitution. He also says it would stop local governments from implementing overreaching gun control measures.

However, a lawyer with the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence calls the proposal a gift to gun criminals. He predicts it would prompt attempts to undo existing gun laws in Alabama.

Louisiana and Missouri voters have approved similar measures.