Some say it violates business owners’ property rights
PHOENIX – The state House has overwhelmingly approved a bill that would permit a gun owner to keep a weapon out of sight in a locked vehicle in a parking lot or garage.
House approval of the bill on Wednesday on a 41-10 vote sends it to the state Senate, which has not yet begun considering non-budget bills during the current session.
Supporters said the bill would serve Arizonans who want to have guns in vehicles for self-defense and recreational purposes. Critics said it tramples on private property rights and overturns employers’ bans of weapons on their property.
The bill, which Republican Rep. John Kavanagh of Fountain Hills has said he introduced at the behest of the National Rifle Association, would not apply to parking areas of detached, single-family homes.
Hardworking Arizonans already have been secretly leaving guns in their vehicles while going to work at places where guns are banned, said Rep. Frank Antenori, R-Tucson. “But they don’t have to worry now about being potentially fired or penalized for doing that.”