LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Right now, Kentucky law only allows certain people to bring concealed firearms into courtrooms.
They include retired and current prosecutors and assistant prosecutors, judges and law enforcement officers.
A last-minute amendment to House Bill 690, which was originally a change of the composition of Kentucky’s Judicial Council, would allow all licensed attorneys in the commonwealth to bring concealed firearms into courtrooms too.
That Senate amendment was filed on March 25, four days before the bill was voted on by the full Senate.
HB690 ultimately passed both chambers with only one lawmaker voting against it.
The governor has yet to sign the bill.
He has until April 11 to either sign it, veto it or do nothing and let it become law without his support or dissent.
Many are calling on him to veto it.
"I think it is very plausible that someone could lose track of, or get their weapon taken from them," Louisville Bar Association Executive Director Kristen Miller said.
Jefferson County Judges and law enforcement officers also spoke out against the measure.
"In a community under siege by gun violence, the last thing we need is more guns in court," said Jefferson County District Court Judge David Bowles, who also serves as president of the District Judges Association of Kentucky.
When WHAS11 asked Sen. Johnnie Turner, R-Harlan, for an interview about why he filed this amendment days before the legislative session ended, his communication staff replied and said he wouldn't be available for an interview until April 12, but said they’d answer questions via email.
WHAS11 sent several questions and asked why this amendment was filed so late, what sort of data and research the senator looked at when drafting the amendment, why Turner didn't think it necessary to add in any oversight or registry for lawyers opting to bring firearms into court, among other things.
Instead, Turner's communications staff didn’t answer any of the questions when they replied.
“Our statement that we provided yesterday still stands,” Senate Majority Leadership Staff Andrew Westberry said. “With regards to the Senator’s availability, if anything change’s you will be the first one to get a call.”
In the initial statement sent Monday, Turner said the four days between when he filed the amendment March 25, and when the Senate voted on it March 29, was enough time for Senate Democrats, the public and interested parties to review the bill.
“Licensed attorneys in good standing with the Kentucky State Bar Association should be awarded the same rights and protections as other officers of the court,” Turner said in the statement issued Monday.
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