PHOENIX — Saying it promotes safety, the No. 2 House Republican wants the state to pay for Arizonans to get licensed to carry concealed weapons.
The proposal by House Majority Leader Steve Montenegro, R-Litchfield Park, would provide a dollar-for-dollar credit against state income taxes owed for the cost of training to get a CCW permit, up to $80.
Costs for the required training around Arizona range from $50 to $115.
Put simply, any Arizonan who gets a permit could deduct the amount from owed state taxes.
Arizona law allows any adult to carry a concealed weapon.
There are, however, certain advantages to having a permit, like being able to bring it into a place where alcohol is served. And Arizona’s permit is honored by a majority of other states.
At last count about 251,000 people have obtained CCW permits in the state.
But Montenegro said there also is a public benefit to having more people who have licenses.
“It’s promoting safety,” Montenegro said of HB 2494. “Law enforcement has told us time and time again that the first line of defense are those that carry CCW permits.”
Montenegro rejected any comparison of offering concealed-carry courses to create safer gun owners with optional driver-education courses to create safer drivers — courses that would not qualify for the same tax credit. He said preparing people to safely handle firearms addresses a specific risk.
“We see this throughout the country where you have, all of a sudden, someone that is not in their right mind, or somebody that is evil, walking in and targeting innocent people,” Montenegro said.
“We want to promote people being educated in having CCW permits,” he continued. “We value those that are able to take these classes and help us with safety.”
Montenegro, who has a CCW permit, said the classes teach more than safely handling a firearm. He said it also acquaints people with the laws on the use of deadly force as well as knowing when not to use a gun.
Montenegro said he does not know how many Arizonans could take advantage of the law and get the credit.
About 251,000 people already have such permits. Those people would be ineligible for the credit.
But the permits are available to anyone 21 or older who is not otherwise disqualified from possessing a firearm, such as conviction of a felony.
That could theoretically leave at least 3 million Arizonans who could take the course and get the $80 credit, at a cost of $240 million. Montenegro said he does not think the cost in state tax revenues should be a factor.
“We want to promote a safe Arizona,” he said. “And we can’t put a price on any lives as well.”
