The letter was signed by Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming
South Carolina – Alan Wilson, the Attorney General of South Carolina, is getting a lot of attention on a national level. He is joining a coalition of state attorneys general in asking Congress to enact the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, or H.R. 38.
If this proposal were passed, it would create a legal framework that would allow Americans who are allowed to carry concealed weapons in their home states to do so across state lines, as long as concealed carry is legal in that state.
The goal of the project is to make the patchwork of gun laws that are very different from state to state more consistent. In a pointed letter addressed to House leadership, Wilson and the other attorneys general set out their argument.
They say that the existing system can get law-abiding people into legal difficulties just for carrying guns while traveling.
Wilson put it bluntly, “It is outrageous that law-abiding Americans can face felony charges and prison time for exercising a constitutional right simply because they cross into a different state.”
Supporters of the bill believe that the Second Amendment is being undercut by the inconsistent maze of state laws. The coalition says that responsible gun owners shouldn’t become criminals merely because they cross a state line with a gun that is properly licensed. Wilson and his colleagues say that the reform is not about expanding gun rights beyond present bounds but about making existing rights simpler to exercise.
“The Second Amendment right now is subject to a patchwork of inconsistent state laws; this is why Congress must end this injustice and pass concealed carry reciprocity now. Every day they delay, they allow constitutional rights to be trampled and responsible citizens to be treated like criminals,” AG Wilson said.
The letter goes on to respond to critics who say that this kind of regulation could hurt local control and public safety. The attorneys general refer to studies that they believe prove that those with concealed carry permits are more law-abiding than the average person. They say that concealed carry not only respects constitutional rights but also bring real public safety benefits by allowing citizens the ability to defend themselves or others when police aren’t immediately on hand.
At the same time, the coalition is careful to point out that the proposed legislation would not create loopholes for those already barred from firearm possession by federal law. “Anyone prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm is excluded from this measure,” the letter notes.
Wilson’s message, backed up by the signatures of attorneys general from over 20 states, makes it obvious that they don’t think that the current patchwork system for concealed carry is good enough. “Every day they delay, they allow constitutional rights to be trampled and responsible citizens to be treated like criminals,” Wilson stated.
The quest for concealed carry reciprocity remains a hot-button issue in Washington and across the country. Wilson and the other attorneys general believe that their voices will call on Congress to act, which may change the laws for millions of gun owners across the country.
