Everyone and their brother has been e-mailing me this story. I would have covered it yesterday, but things have been extraordinarily busy:
Officials in Pennsylvania have revoked a woman’s concealed-weapons permit because other parents complained that she was carrying her loaded handgun at her daughter’s soccer games.
Meleanie Hain says she’s fighting the revocation by the Lebanon County sheriff.
Hain lost the permit and got a warning from local soccer officials after a game on Sept. 11.
Sheriff Michael DeLeo says openly carrying a weapon to a youth soccer match shows a lack of judgment.
Well, that’s all well and good, except for the fact that openly carrying a firearm is legal in Pennsylvania, and a sheriff’s perception of judgement isn’t a reason to yank an LTC. We’ve been through this before in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is technically listed as a shall-issue state, but in reality we are may-issue. The sheriffs exercise an extraordinary amount of discretion in issuing and revoking licenses, and that’s a discretion that’s going to be taken away if they keep insist on abusing it.
Everyone in Pennsylvania who carries regularly should get themselves a Florida license. It’s good in Ohio and Delaware, and Florida is truly shall-issue, and they won’t revoke unless you commit a crime or violate one of the enumerated conditions for having the license.
UPDATE: Dustin beat me to this one.
If a Florida permit’s not an option a Utah non-res is equally easy to get and also good in Delaware and Ohio.
I *think* the UT permit is cheaper than FL as well.
They are cheaper, and actually have reciprocity with more states, but they require training from a Utah Certified Instructor. There are instructors around the country who can help get you the license, but Florida takes just about anything as proof of training.
Of course, in Florida, you are not legally allowed to carry at your kid’s soccer game. Thankfully that stupid law doesn’t apply in most states.
Is open carry in PA like VA or TN? In VA, you don’t need a permit at all to carry openly, only concealed. I believe TN requires a permit to carry period, regardless of how you carry. If PA is like VA, revoking her permit in this case is an example of extra-strength stupid. “How dare you carry openly where it is legal. Just for that, no more concealed carry for you!!”.