States push for reciprocity

Guns.com reports that several states are urging passage of the reciprocity bill:

“A group of state attorneys general has signed on to a letter urging lawmakers to approve a measure that would allow universal recognition if concealed carry permits across the nation.  The letter, signed by the top legal advisors in Alabama, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana and South Carolina, supports the passage the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 …”

According to South Carolinal Attorney General Allan Wilson:

“… “States should not be able to deny citizens of other states the basic constitutional right to self-defense,” Attorney General Wilson said. “South Carolinians who have gone through the process of getting concealed weapon permits shouldn’t have to worry about whether they can protect themselves and their families when they travel in other states.” … “Passing this law would not expand who’s allowed to have a concealed weapon permit,” Attorney General Wilson said. “It just eliminates the confusion we have now over which states recognize which other states’ permits, and makes that constitutional right uniform across the country. The Framers were unwavering in their right to self-protection and steadfast in their support of the Second Amendment.” …”

Compare that statement to Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance’s latest op-ed against the bill:

“… The CCRA would override our state’s restrictive concealed-weapons permitting system and force New York to honor concealed-carry firearms privileges issued in other states, even though many other states have much looser standards … Passage of CCRA could unleash countless new concealed weapons on the streets of New York. That could mean more shootings, more victims and more tragedies in America’s safest big city … The CCRA is a gift to these terrorists. A person on a watch list could purchase multiple handguns at a gun show, take those guns into Manhattan and carry them, fully loaded, into Times Square. It wouldn’t be a crime until they started shooting …”

House bill H.R.38 picked up another co-sponsor before Thanksgiving bringing the total to 213. No new action on the Senate version S.446 since September.