With a national right-to-carry reciprocity bill currently under consideration in Congress, both sides of the debate are speaking out loudly on the proposal.
As most GAT readers know, the current patchwork of carry laws makes traveling from state to state nearly impossible for concealed carry practitioners without risking violating the law. The only practical way to fix this problem is to pass a federal law that does away with the curtailment of Second Amendment rights simply for passing into another state.
The Move Towards National Reciprocity
House Resolution 38
The current proposal, HR 38, has gained a lot of support from gun-rights advocates. However, anti-gun advocates are dead set against it and are pushing hard to see the measure killed.
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In an October 12 Op-Ed posted at thehill.com, NRA-ILA Executive Director John Commerford said the work President Donald Trump has done to curtail crime in Washington, D.C., has been very effective. But more needs to be done throughout the country.
“The numerous disparities between state laws have created traps for lawful carriers, leading to an abundance of confusion and, in some cases, criminal charges for those simply exercising their Second Amendment rights,” Commerford explained.
“Because of this, well-trained and law-abiding gun owners are less likely to protect themselves or those around them, for fear of being arrested and prosecuted—resulting in fewer ‘good guys with guns’ and more unarmed victims for ‘bad guys with guns.’”
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More recently, on November 19, Gun Owners of America (GOA) sent out a national alert to members encouraging them to sign a letter to Congress insisting that the measure be approved.
“H.R. 38 would finally ensure that your concealed carry permit is honored in every state across the country, just like your ability to drive a car,” the alert stated. “No more worrying about crossing state lines and becoming a felon simply for exercising your right to self-defense.”
Anti-Gunners Strike Back
Of course, gun-ban groups are firing back, including so-called Everytown for Gun Safety, which cares more about banning guns than seeing them used safely.
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“Lawmakers in Congress are proposing a dangerous bill that would create a federal concealed carry mandate, also known as concealed carry reciprocity,” the group posted on its website.
“This legislation would force each state to allow people from other states to carry hidden, loaded guns in public, even states that wouldn’t otherwise let them; make it more difficult for police officers in one state to enforce their state and local gun safety laws against people from other states; and override commonsense state gun laws that help protect communities from gun violence.”
Additionally, two of the nation’s top law enforcement unions recently came out strongly against the proposal, even writing a letter to Congress asking lawmakers to vote against the measure.
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“The National Fraternal Order of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which collectively represent a majority of rank-and-file officers and police executives, have serious reservations about the impact this legislation would have on officer safety, officer liability, qualified immunity, and state and local gun safety laws,” the letter stated.
“The inability to confirm whether someone is lawfully carrying a concealed firearm increases the risk of armed encounters and reduces situational awareness for officers in the field.
The President’s Take
Whether or not Congress will pass the law or not is still up in the air. However, President Donald Trump said during the campaign that he would sign a reciprocity bill if passed. And recently, he again indicated support.
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At an October 15 FBI news briefing, a reporter brought up the topic, asking the president: “Will there be a further conversation to have national concealed carry applied to our actual D.C., like if you had a driver’s license for Texas and you had a permit, of course you could drive…”
The president replied, “Well, as you know, they have been talking about that for a long time. It’s an interesting question. A lot of people feel strongly both ways. We are talking about that.”
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