When the Alabama Legislature decided to stop requiring permits to carry a concealed weapon during the last session, it came at the expense of a revenue stream for sheriff’s offices.
Now the state is attempting to make up for that shortfall with new quarterly grants.
The sheriffs’ departments in each of the state’s 67 counties will be receiving funds quarterly beginning in the first quarter of 2023. The amount of funds each county receives is based on monies that county’s sheriff’s department collected on pistol permit fees in 2022.
“A couple of core tenets of the Ivey Administration is that we back the blue in the strongest way possible and that we support upholding our citizens’ Second Amendment rights. As we have amended Alabama law to help our gun owners, we also worked to ensure our sheriffs received their critical funds, and I am proud that these grants will do that,” Ivey said. “The Sheriffs’ Grants will provide them with funding for training, equipment and other needs not provided by county commissions in their annual appropriations. We are proud to support the vital work our sheriffs’ departments do on a daily basis.”
Under the Local Government Pistol Permit Revenue Loss Fund, Alabama sheriffs need to show a loss of pistol permit funds based on the 2022 figures. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is making disbursements to the sheriff’s offices based on reports collected by other state agencies.
The revenue loss was one of several criticisms from the bill’s opponents, while proponents said citizens’ right to bear arms outweighs any other concerns.
