By Scott Turner
The Madison County Commission approved an agreement with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs for a grant to cover the sheriff’s department’s revenue losses from the state’s new permitess carry law.
District 2 Commissioner Steve Haraway told fellow commissioners the sheriff’s department could potentially lose between $650,000 to $700,000 a year based on conversations with Sheriff Kevin Turner, who was not present at the meeting Tuesday.
The law allows people 18 years or older who are not prohibited by state or federal law to carry a concealed handgun in public places without a permit.
County Attorney Jeff Rich told the commission the grant agreement did not include a set amount, but said the county anticipated receiving about $60,000 for the first quarter once the money is divided up among the state’s sheriff’s departments.
He said the grant amounts would be based upon previous years’ revenue reports. A representative of the sheriff’s department said grants would be distributed quarterly.
District 6 Commissioner Violet Edwards asked how much the sheriff’s department received from the permits in previous years.
