A bill proposed by Sen. Roger Bedford (D-Russellville) would allow employees with gun permits to keep their firearms locked in their vehicles while at work.
The bill passed through the Senate 26-2.
But now the bill must be approved by the Alabama House of Representatives.
Bedford said this bill has no connection with the shooting at UAH, and it would be federally against the law for the state to change regulations about guns on university campuses.
This bill would prevent employers from making a rule banning employees from keeping their firearms in their car.
"I believe that if someone is legally licensed to have a firearm, that they should be able to have it locked up, out of sight, in their vehicle so that they can have the protection of it going to and from work," Bedford said. "We've got a lot of single moms in the work force now who either get to work before the sun comes up or come home after it has gone down."
Bedford said the rule does not apply to company vehicles.
"I think it's important to protect our right to legally and responsibly have firearms," Bedford said. "That's one of the freedoms we enjoy in America, but with it comes the responsibility of handling them safely and correctly."
Bedford said several other states have passed similar laws.
The Business Council of Alabama is opposed to Bedford's bill, said Lenore Vickrey, strategic communications director for the business council.
"The Business Council of Alabama, in its 2010 Legislative Agenda, opposes any legislation infringing on an employer's right to provide a safe workplace for employees by restricting firearm possession on company property when appropriate, or creating any new causes of action against employers because of such policies," Vickrey said.
While the BCA is concerned with workplace safety, NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons said the safety of an individual on the way to and from work is the biggest concern. "Anything can happen on the way to and from work," Parsons said. "Just because you're in your car doesn't make you immune to crime."
The NRA fully supports Bedford's bill, Parsons said.
"We always side for the freedom of law-abiding citizens," Parsons said. "A person's day does not begin and end at the office, and we need to use common sense when we break down a line between a corporation's liability concerns and an individual's fundamental and constitutional right to protect themselves."
Parsons said the people who would be affected by the bill are not criminals.
Parsons described the proposed bill as an extension of a right-to-carry permit.
"This is for those who have right-to-carry permits and who have already gone through all of the legal channels to obtain those permits," Parsons said. "They've proven to the state that they are law abiding and they simply want to carry these firearms in their cars for self protection."
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