H.R. 197: National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009

[In_God_We_Trust]

National Right to Carry

I was just looking over my trip I will be taking shortly and cannot believe how many times I have to unholster and pack in the back of the trunk...

Anyhow, with all of the shootings as of late hitting the news and the 20/20 + Dateline drive-by-jhorenalism propaganda they are spewing as of late, I wonder if this will ever get off the ground.

IMO, what is good for Police and retirees of the Police force, should be applicable to all of us mere mortals. We should be allowed the same equal protections under the law, and there should not be a "class" of citizens that benefit more than others, with regards to reciprocity between state lines. Personally, I am surprised no one has challenged with the 14th Amendment...

Anyhow, there are the sponsors thus far:

Sponsor
Rep. Clifford Stearns [R-FL]

Cosponsors [as of 2009-03-07]
Rep. Jeff Miller [R-FL]
Rep. Shelley Capito [R-WV]
Rep. Charles Dent [R-PA]
Rep. John Carter [R-TX]
Rep. Roy Blunt [R-MO]
Rep. Nick Rahall [D-WV]
Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R-MT]
Rep. Michele Bachmann [R-MN]
Rep. Walter Jones [R-NC]
Rep. James Forbes [R-VA]
Rep. Brett Guthrie [R-KY]
Rep. Mark Souder [R-IN]
Rep. Michael Rogers [R-MI]
Rep. Randy Neugebauer [R-TX]
Rep. Alan Mollohan [D-WV]
Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart [R-FL]
Rep. Vern Buchanan [R-FL]
Rep. Frederick Boucher [D-VA]
Rep. Thaddeus McCotter [R-MI]
Rep. John Boozman [R-AR]
Rep. John Murtha [D-PA]
Rep. Thomas Rooney [R-FL]
Rep. Edward Whitfield [R-KY]
Rep. Todd Platts [R-PA]
Rep. Connie Mack [R-FL]

[JMody]

It's about time we get something like this.

I don't think it will ever happen but it is nice to see that someone thinks it makes sense.

[Cabinetman]

A reciprocity law makes perfect sense but it won't happen, not in the current atmosphere and most certainly not with a super-majority of Dems in congress. It’s also amazingly redundant.

The argument against it is also the fact that many states don't want to relinquish yet another piece of their autonomy to the Federal government. While I'm more of a "state's rights" kind a guy, what’s constantly overlooked is that firearm ownership is a specifically enumerated right, recognized (not given) by our United State’s constitution so, like the 1st amendment, it should be automatically guaranteed to citizens from sea to shining sea. State's can NOT infringe on the constitution.

Some have said it’s like a fishing license. States can pass specific laws for their fishing and hunting licenses. However, NY doesn’t have to recognize a CT license because these licenses are NOT enumerated by the Constitution. The 2nd amendment, however, specifically addresses firearms and, like the 1st amendment, should be automatically applied to all 50 states. Some have compared them to a driver’s license. That group is more accurate because driver’s licenses are actually covered under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution ("No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States") and also under the interstate commerce laws. Of course this Amendment could also be applied to firearms as well. Imagine for a moment that in order to drive in, say, New York a Connecticut resident would have to apply for and pass tests for a NY license or any other state! It would be a mess. Traveling through the country would be a morass. This is precisely what we face with firearms, however. A morass.

States pass innumerable and convoluted laws making it virtually impossible for firearms owners to know them all (except for Vermont or Alaska of course). With a driver’s license, however, we have more or less uniform laws, speed limits, right-on-red laws, etc. and your car is legal to drive in your state as well as in all 50 states. NY can’t enact laws that would prohibit any car that, say, goes over 50 miles per hour or gets less than 30 mpg. That’s not to say that some states may not try this in the future, however.

It's unconscionable that we have to redress this issue by passing laws that restate what's already guaranteed by the Constitution but there it is. States CAN and do issue laws that define how citizens have to comply with their requirements to obtain a license for driving…..and firearms. States that prohibit firearms are doing so illegally and thus the Heller case came to light. But once that license/permit has been issued, it MUST be recognized by all the other states since it IS specifically protected by our national Constitution (as well as so many State’s constitutions). Hopefully someday this will be the case and we can all spend more time being productive instead of worrying about having empty shells in my ashtray or a magazine that has more than 10 rounds in it.

Rome

[matt1956]

I do not need to get a driver's license for every state i travel in.

1 - state driving laws do differ from state to state
2 - driving is a privlage, NOT a right.

Yet i need to get a gun license for any state i wish to carry in

1 - the majority of states have looser gun laws then MA
2 - RTKBA is a RIGHT!

more people die in cars and are killed by drunk driving each year then by guns...

anyone else think the laws are backwards on this, or is it just me...

Unfortunately, for States like MA i think it is a money thing. look at what we charge for non res lic. this is the same for every state that has non res license, alway more then the in state.

[In_God_We_Trust]

A reciprocity law makes perfect sense but it won't happen, not in the current atmosphere and most certainly not with a super-majority of Dems in congress. It’s also amazingly redundant.

The argument against it is also the fact that many states don't want to relinquish yet another piece of their autonomy to the Federal government. While I'm more of a "state's rights" kind a guy, what’s constantly overlooked is that firearm ownership is a specifically enumerated right, recognized (not given) by our United State’s constitution so, like the 1st amendment, it should be automatically guaranteed to citizens from sea to shining sea. State's can NOT infringe on the constitution.

Some have said it’s like a fishing license. States can pass specific laws for their fishing and hunting licenses. However, NY doesn’t have to recognize a CT license because these licenses are NOT enumerated by the Constitution. The 2nd amendment, however, specifically addresses firearms and, like the 1st amendment, should be automatically applied to all 50 states. Some have compared them to a driver’s license. That group is more accurate because driver’s licenses are actually covered under the 14th Amendment of the Constitution ("No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States") and also under the interstate commerce laws. Of course this Amendment could also be applied to firearms as well. Imagine for a moment that in order to drive in, say, New York a Connecticut resident would have to apply for and pass tests for a NY license or any other state! It would be a mess. Traveling through the country would be a morass. This is precisely what we face with firearms, however. A morass.

States pass innumerable and convoluted laws making it virtually impossible for firearms owners to know them all (except for Vermont or Alaska of course). With a driver’s license, however, we have more or less uniform laws, speed limits, right-on-red laws, etc. and your car is legal to drive in your state as well as in all 50 states. NY can’t enact laws that would prohibit any car that, say, goes over 50 miles per hour or gets less than 30 mpg. That’s not to say that some states may not try this in the future, however.

It's unconscionable that we have to redress this issue by passing laws that restate what's already guaranteed by the Constitution but there it is. States CAN and do issue laws that define how citizens have to comply with their requirements to obtain a license for driving…..and firearms. States that prohibit firearms are doing so illegally and thus the Heller case came to light. But once that license/permit has been issued, it MUST be recognized by all the other states since it IS specifically protected by our national Constitution (as well as so many State’s constitutions). Hopefully someday this will be the case and we can all spend more time being productive instead of worrying about having empty shells in my ashtray or a magazine that has more than 10 rounds in it.

Rome

+1 VERY WELL SAID!!!

[mikem317]

I do not need to get a driver's license for every state i travel in.

1 - state driving laws do differ from state to state
2 - driving is a privlage, NOT a right.

Yet i need to get a gun license for any state i wish to carry in

1 - the majority of states have looser gun laws then MA
2 - RTKBA is a RIGHT!

more people die in cars and are killed by drunk driving each year then by guns...

anyone else think the laws are backwards on this, or is it just me...

Unfortunately, for States like MA i think it is a money thing. look at what we charge for non res lic. this is the same for every state that has non res license, alway more then the in state.

Well said, I feel the same way.

The only legitimate obstacle in the road is states' rights issues.

[Franco]

I do not need to get a driver's license for every state i travel in.

1 - state driving laws do differ from state to state
2 - driving is a privlage, NOT a right.

Yet i need to get a gun license for any state i wish to carry in

1 - the majority of states have looser gun laws then MA
2 - RTKBA is a RIGHT!

more people die in cars and are killed by drunk driving each year then by guns...

anyone else think the laws are backwards on this, or is it just me...

Unfortunately, for States like MA i think it is a money thing. look at what we charge for non res lic. this is the same for every state that has non res license, alway more then the in state.

i hear ya ,..they want to confine us like cattle. and milk us good!

so what does that mean we cant have freedom of speech in other states then our own that we are resident ..its bullshit! its our right!

[Fixxah]

No Mass. sigs? What a shock.