Weekly Spotlight 1/14 – 1/20/23
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act Introduced in the 118th Congress to Protect Americans’ Right to Self-Defense Across the Country
A new Congress has been gaveled in, and Second Amendment champion U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) has introduced H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would ensure that a concealed carry permit held in one state is recognized in other states that allow residents to carry. This long-overdue legislation is a cornerstone of the movement to protect Americans’ right to self-defense and responsible gun ownership.
Right now, there are tremendous legal risks to law-abiding gun owners due to the lack of consistency in gun laws across states. For example, if a concealed carry permit holder from Pennsylvania were to drive to Virginia, where Pennsylvania permits are recognized, they would be breaking the law on their way through Maryland. This should not be the case, and H.R. 38 would right this wrong by protecting a permit holder from unreasonable risk so that they can defend themselves at all times.
- What states allow concealed carry permits?
- All 50 states allow concealed carry, but the laws governing the process for obtaining a permit (or whether a permit is required) vary widely, and many states have onerous restrictions that make it nearly impossible to legally carry a firearm.
- With national reciprocity, a permit holder will be empowered to protect themselves and their loved ones with a firearm regardless of which state they find themselves in. In other words, your Second Amendment rights should not stop at state borders.
- Why is this legislation important?
- National reciprocity is an important step toward modernizing America’s concealed carry laws to ensure responsible gun owners can avoid danger and save lives.
- After years of policies emanating from Washington that have put the Second Amendment on the chopping block, the passage of H.R. 38 would demonstrate a renewed commitment to protecting Americans’ right to defend themselves, their family, and their community.
Across the country, support for burdensome restrictions on law-abiding gun owners is waning while responsible gun ownership becomes the status quo. The time is right for our lawmakers in Washington to pass H.R. 38 and guarantee concealed carry reciprocity nationwide.
Make your voice heard in support of this legislation by sending a letter to your representative.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
A federal judge on Monday blocked major portions of New Jersey’s new gun control law, finding that restrictions on where concealed-carry permit holders may carry their firearm in public present “considerable constitutional problems.” U.S. District Court Judge Renee Marie Bumb, a George W. Bush appointee, issued a temporary restraining order against parts of the law that prohibit guns from being carried in “sensitive locations,” including public libraries, museums, entertainment venues like stadiums, arenas and amusement parks, bars, restaurants where alcohol is served, public parks, beaches, playgrounds, and airports and public transportation hubs.
- NBC News: Mother fatally shoots shovel-wielding intruder who broke into her Louisiana home, authorities say
A mother fatally shot an intruder who broke into her Louisiana home with her two young children inside earlier this week. Robert Rheams, 51, broke into the Hammond home of a woman early Sunday, armed with a shovel and lug wrench, the Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office said. After making entry, he got into a physical altercation with the woman, “which ultimately led to Rheams being shot by the homeowner,” the sheriff’s office said.
Police in the northern part of California’s central valley say that an ax-wielding man was shot after allegedly attacking a property owner who has a concealed-carry permit. In a Facebook post, the Merced County Sheriff’s Department says deputies received a call Tuesday evening of an assault taking place in the city of Dos Palos, California. On the way to the scene of the incident, deputies were informed by dispatch that the victim was a legally permitted CCW holder who shot the adult male in self-defense. That suspect, according to police, had attempted to hit the victim with an ax.
Supreme Court Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas sent a strong signal Wednesday that they are very carefully watching to ensure federal courts do not thumb their noses at the high court’s landmark decision that expanded gun rights nationwide. Last June’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol v. Bruen inspired supporters of gun rights across the country to file fresh challenges to an array of firearms regulations. Now, that ripple effect is taking hold, emboldening gun rights activists who have seen early success, while alarming some judges and supporters of gun restrictions.