FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — On January 25, 2024, the Crisis Aversion and Rights Retention bill, also known as CARR, was filed by Sen. Whitney Westerfield. Then, the bill sat awaiting a committee assignment for weeks.
On March 1, 2024, it was assigned to the Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protections Committee, marking a small step forward in the legislative process.
"I'm working on getting the votes," Westerfield told LEX 18. "There have been a lot of op-eds around the state from advocates, including former [Republican Party of Kentucky] Chairman Mac Brown, just recently. There's a lot of people that support this bill and a lot of people in my caucus that support the bill. I continue to advocate for the votes that I need."
Gun control advocates believe CARR is a commonsense compromise. However, there is loud opposition to the bill as well.
The bill would create a system to temporarily remove guns from Kentuckians who are deemed an immediate threat to themselves or others. The guns would be returned once the crisis is over.
"There's a lot of opposition from outside groups that are scaring members into a certain position. They are afraid of taking a position publicly," said Westerfield. "Even the members that I know support the bill haven't said so publicly."
So, is Westerfield optimistic that the bill will pass this year?
"It's a steep climb to make," he said. "I'm optimistic that it'll pass eventually. I'm not certain 2024 will be the year, but I'm very optimistic we can make progress."
Earlier this year, Kentuckians impacted by gun violence spoke in favor of CARR.
Kirsten Russell of Louisville said that if Kentucky had CARR years ago, she believes her mother would still be alive today.
"In April of 2018, my mentally ill brother took my mother's life. There were many warning signs. We filed for a mental inquest warrant. We were denied. He didn't fit the criteria," Russell said.
"For my family, CARR would've made all the difference in the world. We would've been able to temporarily remove his firearms and I believe my mom would still be here with us today," she added.
However, critics of the bill, like Rep. Savannah Maddox (R) Dry Ridge, have emphasized that they will fight back against the measure.
“We must fervently resist any effort to pass gun control legislation,” Maddox said in December.
"Any type of red flag law proposal, or ERPO, or the CARR act has the potential to violate at least three constitutional rights - in addition to due process and the presumption of innocence, which is a principal that is well enshrined in our American legal system," Maddox added.
The National Rifle Association has said the group was "assured some time ago by individual members of majority leadership that (CARR) would not be taken up due to constitutionality concerns and the dangerous precedent it sets."
