The Constitution’s full faith and credit clause requires that states recognize each others’ acts, records and judicial proceedings. Except, of course, when the really don’t want to. If you have a Missouri driver’s license and are stopped for speeding Massachusetts, you’ll get a ticket, but you won’t be nabbed for driving without a license. But if you have a Texas license to carry and are stopped in, say, Illinois, prepare to spend some time in the Graybar Hotel and then fork over a lot of cash to your friendly neighborhood criminal defense attorney.
Changing that state of affairs has long been a priority of the few actual Second Amendment supporters in Congress. Back in the early days of the Trump administration, there appeared to be some momentum for passing a federal law requiring universal recognition of other states’ carry permits…national reciprocity. Then the congressional baseball shooting happened and the linguini-spined House leadership back-burnered it.
Yesterday, Kentucky Rep. Tom Massie — as stalwart a gun rights supporter as there is in Washington — introduced a bill that would go farther than mere national reciprocity. If enacted into law, Massie’s bill would create national constitutional carry. HR 9534, titled the National Constitutional Carry Act to Protect Right to Carry Firearms in All States has two primary components.
The first provision prohibits any state or political subdivision from imposing criminal or civil penalties on eligible individuals carrying firearms in public. The second provision invalidates any existing state or local laws, statutes, regulations, or local restrictions that criminalize, penalize, or otherwise dissuade the carrying of firearms in public. In addition to covering all fifty states, H.R. 9534 includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and other territories of the United States within its scope to ensure that residents of all U.S. jurisdictions enjoy consistent protection of their Second Amendment rights.
It’s basically the whole gun rights enchilada. Which is why you shouldn’t hold your breath waiting for the House to vote on it, let alone any legislation making it to this or any other president’s desk for a signature. Still, it’s a welcome gesture, one that the National Association for Gun Rights wants to trumpet.
The National Association for Gun Rights announces its support for Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-KY-4) Real Constitutional Carry bill, H.R. 9534, introduced today in the House of Representatives.
Constitutional Carry is the simple concept that anyone who is a law-abiding gun owner can legally carry a firearm, open or concealed, without a government permit.
“This is the ONLY bill that will ensure all law-abiding Americans can enjoy Real Constitutional Carry without being subjected to outrageous New York-style permit regulations, expensive fees, or ATF intervention on the right to carry,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights.
Currently, Americans in 29 states can legally carry a firearm without having to pay fees, fill out forms, or wait for government permission to do so. The bill put forth by Rep. Massie today would extend that right to individuals in every state, restoring the right to keep and bear arms standard enshrined in the Second Amendment.
“Thomas Massie is a gun rights champion, and we support the Real Constitutional Carry bill 100 percent,” said Brown. “The right of law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm to protect themselves and their families has been chipped away by gun control zealots for decades. But just in the last ten years, grassroots efforts by NAGR members have gotten Constitutional Carry passed in over two dozen states, and it’s time all 50 states enjoy the same freedoms.”
The National Association for Gun Rights is collecting petitions to send to Congress in support of H.R. 9534.
Remind me again why, during Trump’s first term when the Rs held the presidency and both houses, we didn’t get this? Or suppressors off the NFA list? Or the GCA rolled back?
Introducing it at this point in time, with zero chance of becoming law, is sheer political grandstanding and blociation. Color me unimpressed. No, make that disgusted at the pandering.
Google the term “Filibuster”, which requires 60 votes in the senate to overcome.
Let’s now wave a magic wand and do away with the filibuster, ready?
All they will need is 51 votes to confiscate every semi-automatic firearm in America, and it will be legal.
Do you think they won’t do that if given the chance?
I thought this was clearly explained the last time, apparently not.
To clarify – The filibuster has saved our asses from literal fascism, ever heard the expression “The tyranny of the majority”?
That’s what we get without the filibuster, be grateful we have it, and save your bitching until we have 60 votes in the senate to over-ride it…
Sarcasm, Geoff. Sarcasm.
Sigh.
Sometimes hard to pick up on the innerwebs, I couldn’t tell if you were serious or not… 🙂
Geoff, partly. I am sick of this sort of pandering; and I do know why it didn’t – couldn’t – pass last time.
I also understand just how valuable the filibuster is. It is funny, though, isn’t it, how one party will change the rules when it benefits themselves, and then cry foul when the other makes use of that very change. Almost as though half the nation doesn’t have a concept of 2nd order effects…
“Remind me again why…we didn’t get this?”
Because they never wanted you to get it. Most of them aren’t really pro-2A just like they’re not really against abortion, big government, out of control spending, etc. Things change when the constituency changes. Well, the constituency has been changing lately. More people are thinking about these things now compared to a couple of decades ago.
Wondering if that’s a Springfield SA1?
Great hope HR9534 will make it!!
Appears to be an M60. Local gunstore had one for sale recently. 40k
Nice, but expensive to buy, and feed… 🙁
But if I win the lotto… 🙂
Is this a joke? Why is this even newsworthy? Where are these clowns when Republicans are in control of both houses of Congress and the White House? WHERE? Does this grandstanding jackass think the Senate would even HEAR it? Does he think Biden would SIGN it? Let me guess – this guy is up for re-election and the NRA has some money to donate to his campaign, eh? SERIOUSLY. Just F*** off. Another pandering-for-votes RINO that sits on his hands in non-election years or when Republicans can actually pass something.
“Where are these clowns when Republicans are in control of both houses of Congress and the White House? WHERE?”
Are you seriously that STUPID, ‘Charles’?
Name the time when we held all three houses, and a had a 60-vote filibusterer-proof majority in the Senate so we could get it to a Republican president to sign into law?
WHEN, CHUCK?
NEVER is the answer, you nattering nit-wit! 🙁
I understand the sentiment, but Massie is one of the few good guys.
Agreed!