Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill may be DOA
WASHINGTON - — There are just a few weeks left of having the White House and both chambers of Congress all controlled by Republicans.
That means it’s crunch time for those lawmakers who want to see some more of their top priorities get signed into law.
That includes one bill, which deals with gun rights and carrying concealed weapons across state lines.
Gun rights advocates say, this is the last shot - an opportunity to pass in the Senate what the U.S. House of Representatives already did in 2017- a law to allow people with a state issued concealed carry license or permit to conceal a handgun in any other state that allows concealed carry.
"We don’t like the idea that just because we’re going from one state to another our rights change, specifically our right to defend ourself," said Kevin Michalowski, with U.S. Concealed Carry Association.
For Democrats, the bill was always a non-starter.
"Concealed reciprocity is an invitation to gun violence," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut Wednesday.
"I do not believe that you should undermine the abilities of states to pass their own laws, and that’s what this bill would do," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland.
The bill is also opposed by the International Association of Chiefs of Police who call it an encroachment on individual state efforts to protect public safety.
But 40 Republicans co-sponsored the bill, including Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah.
"I’m basically on the side of people trying to keep and bear arms. And anytime you infringe on that right, you tend to diminish it," he said.
But as of now, there are no plans to bring this legislation to a vote in the Senate right now and many Republican Senators made it clear it was also not on the top of their agendas.
"You know I’m really not conversing on that issue at this point," said Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho
If the Senate does not take the bill up by the end of this legislative session, it would have to be re-introduced in the next Congress with almost no shot to pass in the House, which will be controlled by Democrats.
