A West Virginia pediatrician again pleaded with senators to put down legislation allowing 18- to 20-year-olds carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
Versions of the policy have bounced around the entire legislative session. The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday evening advanced House Bill 4106. It’s in line for a passage vote in the Senate on Friday — with the regular session concluding on Saturday.
The legislation expands permitless concealed carry to younger adults. For affected 18– to 20-year-olds, the bill also removes the associated background check and mandatory safety training that come with getting a permit under current law.
The bill advancing in the Senate clarifies that juveniles, including those in the military, may carry a firearm to and from places where they are legally authorized to have it like hunting locations or sanctioned target practice. That’s more specific than an earlier House version.
McJunkin, a retired pediatric intensive care physician, has followed the bill all along its legislative journey and provided warnings along the way. He testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee when it took up the bill at 9:52 p.m. on Wednesday.
McJunkin described concerns based on his clinical experience treating children and young adults harmed by firearms.
He told senators that the current law requiring background checks and safety training for that age group — is a good law that should be preserved.
McJunkin said 18–to 20-year-olds are at higher risk because of impulsivity risk-taking behavior and possible substance abuse. He also warned about associated danger of suicide, describing the possibility of an impulsive act after a bad experience like a breakup.
The pediatrician drew on his experience to describe the awful circumstances of treating a 3-year-old shot by his 7-year-old brother. The younger child was shot through the cervical spinal cord, became quadriplegic and depended on a ventilator for breathing.
McJunkin cared for the child for four years on a ventilator before the boy died of pneumonia.
“So to give up the potential for safety training, again that’s in current law, I’m extremely concerned,” McJunkin told senators.
Art Thom, director of government relations for the West Virginia Citizens Defense League, spoke in support of the bill and said the proposal the legislation focuses on law-abiding adults 18 and up.
“I understand that pediatricians come up here, and they speak to this every time that we have this bill,” Thom said. “But the problem with that is, we’re not talking about patients that pediatricians treat. We’re talking about adults, and these are those 18 and up.”
He added, “Talking about stories of a three year old being shot by a seven year old — and that is terrible, and nobody wants to see that or hear about that — we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about law-abiding adults.”