It’s amazing that we actually need this, considering reciprocity is embedded in the Constitution
(The Hill) Gun owners would be allowed to carry concealed weapons around the country under new legislation introduced in the Senate.
The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would allow gun owners who have a concealed carry permit in their home state to bring their firearms in any other state with concealed-carry laws.
“This operates more or less like a driver’s license,†Sen. John Cornyn (Texas), the second-ranking Republican in the upper chamber, told The Hill. “So, for example, if you have a driver’s license in Texas, you can drive in New York, in Utah and other places, subject to the laws of those states.”
Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said this would “eliminate some of the ‘gotcha moments,’ where people inadvertently cross state lines†with guns they are legally allowed to carry in their home state.
Furthermore, it would easily allow those with concealed carry permits to protect themselves when traveling, as Chris Cox, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action notes
“Our fundamental right to self-defense does not stop at a state’s borders. Law abiding citizens should be able to exercise this right while traveling across state lines,†Cox added.
Of course, this does not address the notion of people without concealed carry bringing their weapons to another state while traveling, who would use it with open carry as in their own state and/or keep it locked up. Everytown for Gun Safety President John Feinblatt
Everytown argues that Cornyn’s bill would allow states with the “weakest gun laws to trump the reasonable judgments†of others, since people who qualify for concealed carry permits in some states would get to carry their guns into places with tougher requirements.
And, typically, those areas with the most stringent CCPs have the most crime, necessitating the need for a CCP. Strange how that works, eh?
Cornyn’s bill previously came close to passing in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and may have a better chance this time around under the Republican majority
Unless Republicans get squishy, this should pass easily. And would probably lead to another Obama veto threat prior to Obama even reading the bill.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
