COEUR d'ALENE - The bill to eliminate the need for permits to carry concealed in Idaho may have stalled in committee this week, according to one of its proponents.

House Bill 89 was introduced to the House State Affairs Committee last week. If passed, the "constitutional carry" bill would eliminate the need for a concealed weapons permit in the state of Idaho, but it would also require county sheriffs to continue issuing enhanced concealed weapons permits to Idaho citizens who want to carry concealed weapons in other states that recognize Idaho's permits.

On Monday, Greg Pruett, president of the Idaho Second Amendment Alliance, said he doesn't think the bill is going to get a hearing during this session.

"I've been told the House Republican leadership is going to kill the bill," Pruett said. "We are working to find out why they decided to kill it."

A spokesperson for House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said House leadership has not killed the bill, but it is being held in the State Affairs Committee.

"As I understand it, there are a couple of other bills coming through the process and the chairman wanted to let the process work," the spokesperson said.

While the House State Affairs committee voted to print the bill on Friday, Chairman Thomas Loertscher, R-Iona, has not scheduled it for a hearing.

"All I know is that we don't have it on the schedule," said Kasey Winder, secretary of the committee.

Winder said the chairman usually schedules a hearing the day before each committee meeting, but HB89 has yet to be scheduled.

Opposition from law enforcement may be the reason HB89 has stalled in committee.

"The rumors as of (Tuesday afternoon) are that HB89 won't go any further," said Vaughn Killeen, executive director of the Idaho Sheriff's Association.

Killeen said the ISA has been working with the National Rifle Association on another bill that would be in direct conflict with HB89.

"I cannot discuss the nature of the bill because it hasn't been introduced yet," Killeen said. "But I would anticipate something happening, if not by the end of this week, then certainly next week."

Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said he has not personally reviewed HB89, but from what he has heard, he does have some concerns.

"One thing that I would be concerned about is those people who are currently screened out for mental illness," Wolfinger said.

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office processes roughly 250 concealed weapons permits a month. Wolfinger said about 2 percent of those are rejected during a criminal background check.

Most of the people who are rejected for criminal violations usually committed their crime years ago, Wolfinger said. Most of them are eligible to have their offenses expunged by the court and secure a permit anyway.

But, the sheriff said, the KCSO did recently deny a concealed weapons permit for a man who had to be placed in protective custody for mental health reasons two months ago.

For that reason, Wolfinger said, he opposes the bill.

"I am concerned about the lack of checks and balances," he said.

Regardless of the opposition, Pruett said the Second Amendment Alliance is committed to the constitutional carry legislation and if it is killed in committee, the alliance will bring another version next year.

"We have started a petition drive and we hope to gather 10,000 signatures," he said, adding the group is also holding a rally in Boise on Feb. 21.