Senator Vitter To Offer Concealed Carry Reciprocity Amendment

[Texpatriate]

Senator Vitter To Offer Concealed Carry Reciprocity Amendment
-- Action needed right away!

Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org

Tuesday, May 13, 2008


Senator David Vitter (R-LA) has filed a pro-gun amendment to HR 980, and it
could be voted on as early as tomorrow!

This amendment would protect the right of citizens to carry concealed
weapons (outside of their home state) in states that allow concealed carry.

Sen. Vitter explains that his amendment does not violate the rights of
states as it "does NOT establish national standards for concealed carry, nor
does it provide for a national carry permit."

In other words, the Vitter amendment specifically says that state laws
concerning specific types of locations in which firearms may not be carried
shall be followed. "My amendment will not federalize concealed carry
permits but simply requires concealed carry permits to be recognized in
other states that allow concealed carry permits," Vitter said.

This is a real reciprocity provision which grants citizens the "full faith
and credit" protection that is guaranteed in Article IV of the Constitution.
Section 1 of this article says:

Full Faith and Credit shall be given in each State to the public Acts,
Records, and judicial Proceedings of every other State. And the Congress
may by general Laws prescribe the Manner in which such Acts, Records, and
Proceedings shall be proved, and the Effect thereof.

Vitter says that this constitutional provision authorizes the Congress to
pass legislation forcing each state to recognize the "public Acts" of other
states. So if states are not willing to recognize another state's laws,
Congress has the authority to pass laws to require recognition of those
measures.

It's just like with driver's licenses. If certain states refused to honor
the driver's licenses of citizens in other states, Congress could pass
legislation (under Article IV) to require every state to honor all licenses.


ACTION: Please urge your Senators to vote for the Vitter amendment to HR
980 to protect the right to carry concealed firearms outside of your home
state.

You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Senators the pre-written
e-mail message below. And, you can call your Senators at 202-224-3121 or
toll-free at 1-877-762-8762.


----- Pre-written letter -----

Dear Senator:

Please support the Vitter amendment to HR 980. This amendment will protect
the right of citizens to carry firearms outside of their home state without
violating the rights of other states. Thus, the Vitter language masterfully
protects the principle of federalism while also promoting Second Amendment
rights.

A person's right to defend himself and his family should not end at the
border of his state.

I urge you to vote for the Vitter concealed carry amendment.

Sincerely,

 

[Texpatriate]

oops.

I thought I was in activism when I posted this. Feel free to move mods. Thanks.

 

[markk]

This looks like it could be a very good thing...

 

[Texpatriate]

I agree. E-mail your U.S. Senator ASAP. It could go up for a vote tomorrow.

 

[sailortoo]

Done! It just seems so fitting for the "Full Faith and Credit" clause, that I would be interested to see the efforts to rebut - should be instructive, to say the least.
sailortoo

 

[markk]

I posted this same alert in the General Forum and people are actually trying to imply that it's a bad thing.

 

[Texpatriate]

Not to stray into politics too far, but I wouldn't be suprised if this whole thing is bait for certain senatorial presidential candidates to reveal their "true colors". They're saying that the big swing vote for this election is "white working class men". Bassically just PC codetalk for "gun owners". If McCain votes in favor of it, and Hillary and/or Barrack vote against it, the Repubs can make the case that McCain represents the interests of gun owners. Either way, if it passes it will be a good thing.

 

[Texpatriate]

maybe this thread should be merged with yours?

 

[Yellowfin]

If we can get it to pass it will be very good. CA, NJ, MA, MD, HI, and NY need to be cracked open like a peanut under an 18 wheeler. I normally hate having the fed do anything that's the states' business but this has got to be done because the states in question are too insulated against positive change for it to come around any other way. Their stances on CCW deserve no respect whatsoever.

 

[Harvster]

Shame on Mr. Vitter. It's things like this that keep the true crusaders for our protection (like his majesty Mr. Bloomberg) up at night.

 

[romma]

Go Vitter!! Full Faith and Credit...

I have been for National Reciprocity all along. I doubt with the current make up in Washington right now it would have a snowballs chance in he double hockey-stick to make it...

Even More so if one of the two Democratic candidates get in office.

 

[Megistopoda]

Text of the Amendment is at this time publically available in the Congressional Record of 13 May 2008.

http://frwebgate2.access.gpo.gov/cg...SdocID=771025132657+1+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve


SA 4757. Mr. VITTER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 980, to provide collective bargaining rights for
public safety officers employed by States or their political
subdivisions; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place, insert the following:

SEC. __. RECIPROCITY FOR THE CARRYING OF CERTAIN CONCEALED
FIREARMS.

(a) In General.--Chapter 44 of title 18, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after section 926C the
following:

``Sec. 926D. Reciprocity for the carrying of certain
concealed firearms

``Notwithstanding any provision of the law of any State or
political subdivision thereof:
``(1) A person who is not prohibited by Federal law from
possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm,
and is carrying a valid license or permit which is issued
pursuant to the law of any State and which permits the person
to carry a concealed firearm, may carry in any State a
concealed firearm in accordance with the terms of the license
or permit, subject to the laws of the State in which the
firearm is carried concerning specific types of locations in
which firearms may not be carried.
``(2) A person who is not prohibited by Federal law from
possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm,
and is otherwise than as described in paragraph (1) entitled
to carry a concealed firearm in and pursuant to the law of
the State in which the person resides, may carry in any State
a concealed firearm in accordance with the laws of the State
in which the person resides, subject to the laws of the State
in which the firearm is carried concerning specific types of
locations in which firearms may not be carried.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter
44 of title 18 is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 926C the following:

``926D. Reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms.''.

(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act.
______

 

[Augustwest]

Don't know that it's of much help, but my Senators have heard from me.

Same Senators who seem ok with effectively destroying what's left of Connecticut's tobacco farming heritage with an expanded SCHIP program don't likely care that this would give law-abiding CT citizens the opportunity to protect themselves, but they heard from me anyway.

 

[Hammer-52]

Texas Senators

Just sent my emails to Senators Hutchinson & Cornyn. I expect Hutchinson to support since she carries a .357 & "authored" the congressional Amicus Brief supporting Heller in the Heller case.

 

[armoredman]

Did ya notice the little thing where it says of the state you are carrying in, only the laws of WHERE you can carry apply. Hello hi-caps in Kali and JHP in NJ!

 

[Texpatriate]

I believe what it means is that you have to respect the state laws where you are. In other words, a FL permit holder would have to follow CA state law when visiting CA. Similar to how you have to follow OK traffic laws when you're driving through OK, for example.

 

[Green Lantern]

After thinking it over a bit...I'm gonna repost what I did in the other thread, but not word-for-word:

First of all, this could come back and bite us in SO many ways. Suppose each state gets to still set their own restrictions on CCW, and we don't end up with a standard from the Fedgov. Great, right?

Well, look at a place like California, where people are either ignorant, or simply unwilling to process the fact that Joe Citizen can get a CCW permit. At least that's MY theory why Cali has some of the least-onerous restrictions on where you can carry in the NATION.

'Course, the antis there (and likely NATIONWIDE) will have a conniption if this passes - and in places that have generally antigun State governments....SHAZAM, LOTS of new restrictions on CCW!

Second of all, isn't it infringing on State rights? At the risk of being "political" for a moment, I compared this bill to a (nonexistant at the moment) bill Barack Obama wants and would sign in a heartbeat - a FEDERAL bill nullifying all STATE-issued CCW permits!

That would be a terrible bill, and a huge argument against it would be that who the heck are the Feds to come in and sweep away 48 sets of State laws that have passed muster?

I'm backing off on my second statement a bit, looking at it from a "driver's license" perspective. I'm sure there are about 50 different sets of procedures to get your DL in the USA, yet each State honors DLs from all other states...

Soooo....I'm kinda anxious about it, dunno if I wanna call my Senators yet (tho I think Dole and Burr would both support it anyway, they're pretty solid RKBA)...

But I don't think I'll lose TOO much sleep if it passes..maybe..

 

[Yellowfin]

Second of all, isn't it infringing on State rights? At the risk of being "political" for a moment, I compared this bill to a (nonexistant at the moment) bill Barack Obama wants and would sign in a heartbeat - a FEDERAL bill nullifying all STATE-issued CCW permits!

That would be a terrible bill, and a huge argument against it would be that who the heck are the Feds to come in and sweep away 48 sets of State laws that have passed muster?

Hopefully that would be just enough for the people to revolt against Barry and his hordes. It has been disastrous that we have allowed politicians of his inclinations to continue to hold office in our country--we have at best stymied them but have done little to end their threat. We need to do so. Their goal is to make us cease to be, ours should be no less than to make them cease or we will lose.