[JURIST] West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin [official profile] vetoed a bill [HB 4145 materials] on Thursday that would have allowed civilians 21 and over to carry concealed weapons without a permit. The bill did not require [AP report] carriers to receive gun training but provided a $50 tax credit as an incentive. While West Virginia already allows the carrying of permitless guns openly, Tomblin has expressed his concern that the concealed gun bill, which he similarly vetoed last year, may create a significant threat to law enforcement. The National Rifle Association (NRA) [advocacy website] has called for lawmakers to begin the process immediately. A spokesman has stated that the House plans to override the veto as soon as Friday.

Gun control [JURIST backgrounder] and the Second Amendment continue to be controversial national topics, and gun awareness has risen in the wake of recent shootings across the nation. Last week Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe signed [JURIST report] gun safety measures into law that will prevent domestic abusers and certain types of criminals from owning and carrying guns. In January US President Barack Obama announced executive actions [JURIST report] on gun control requiring those in the business of selling firearms, including those selling firearms at gun shows, to be licensed and background checked. In December the US Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia Circuit vacated [JURIST report] a lower court ruling that found that a DC gun law requiring a concealed carry permit outside of the home may violate the constitution. In October Maine’s revised concealed carry law went into effect [JURIST report] allowing legal gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a permit. Earlier that month the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld [JURIST report] the main parts of Connecticut and New York gun control legislation that ban semiautomatic weapons and high-capacity magazines. In September the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a mixed ruling [JURIST report] on DC gun laws, ultimately upholding six and striking down four controversial elements of the Firearms Registration Amendment Act and the Firearms Amendment Act of 2012. The laws were created in response to the Supreme Court striking down [JURIST report] a DC law prohibiting firearm ownership in 2008.