It is not every day I can run the flag of liberty up the pole.

Though I can’t today, I’m hopeful the the Idaho Legislature will pass Senate Bill 1389, which will restore the right of residents to defend themselves.

The long-awaited bill, which will give most Idaho adults the right to conceal-carry their guns without paying the government first, will receive a hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee early Monday morning in the Capitol auditorium.

Idaho’s gun laws have created a patchwork of statutes that are confusing.

For example, individuals can openly carry side-arms in public view inside or outside of city limits. If you put on a coat long enough to hide that holstered handgun from public view you don’t need a permit if you are outside of city limits.

If you walk into town you would have to remember to remove that coat if you don’t have a concealed carry permit, because you will be in violation of current law. That’s pretty confusing and burdensome.

What Senate Bill 1389 does is remove most of the distinctions between open carry and concealed carry of weapons, and the differences within city limits and outside of city limits.

Since Idahoans will not have to obtain a permit to carry a weapon in the manner they prefer, they can save the time and cost of obtaining a permit. However, many Idahoans may still want permits for the purposes of reciprocity, when traveling to other states. Under Senate Bill 1389, they will still be able to obtain permits as before.

This is a nice step forward for liberty-minded Idahoans who take the meaning of the Second Amendment literally.