This is how a dangerous and unnecessary gun bill advances in the Kentucky legislature.
There are 60 days in the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly.
Day 5 — House Bill 312, to allow 18-20 year olds to carry concealed firearms, assigned to House Judiciary Committee.
Day 13 — HB 312 passes with a vote of 73-13 on the GOP supermajority-controlled House floor.
Two months pass. Crickets.
Day 48 — HB 312 assigned to Senate Judiciary Committee.
Day 50 —At 8:00 p.m. I am at a restaurant having dinner when I receive email notification that HB 312 will be heard the next morning, 13 hours from now, in the Senate Judiciary Committee chaired by Sen. Brandon Storm.
Day 51 — With such short notice I am unable to attend this meeting in person, so I watch online.
There are 6 bills on the agenda for a 60 minute meeting.
During discussion of the second bill on the agenda, SB 290 sponsored by the committee chair — surprise! — a circuit judge rises to speak against the bill. When Chair Storm says he was not notified in advance of the judge’s appearance, she says she did not know the bill would be on the agenda until 8:00 pm last night.
Ya’ don’t say.
With 15 minutes left on the clock, there are still three bills to be presented, discussed, and voted on. The committee is in such a hurry that the sponsor of the fourth bill, Rep. Marianne Proctor, is cut off mid-presentation so committee members can make statements and ask questions.
With four minutes left, it is finally time to hear HB 312 to allow 18-20 year olds to carry concealed firearms.
Rep. Savannah Maddox begins to present HB 312 and is cut off. Time is running out.
Two citizens speak briefly against the bill.
Sen. Danny Carroll, a former police officer, votes no.
Senate President Robert Stivers, a member of this committee, votes yes, telling a story about how his 19 year old son was in the military and allowed to be armed near the President of the United States.
Rep. Savannah Maddox, as she did when she first presented this bill in House Judiciary two months ago, states that this bill does not change where people can carry firearms, including in schools.
A grossly disingenuous statement considering Maddox has also filed House Bill 517 — assigned to House Judiciary — which would allow firearms to be concealed-carry in schools.
HB 312 passes with favorable expression.
It now moves to the senate floor, its final stop in the process to become Kentucky state law.
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