Over the past several decades, the National Rifle Association has done more than any other organization to advance the legal carry of firearms for self-defense purposes—period.
The NRA initiated the shall-issue carry movement in 1987 by successfully passing a shall-issue carry law in Florida after a prolonged struggle. Thanks to the ongoing advocacy from our organization and our strong state leaders, shall-issue eventually became established across the nation, with most states adopting similar laws that mandate permits to be issued so long as an individual has no disqualifiers.
Once concealed carry became mainstream, the time was ripe to de-regulate the process. Under our leadership, one state after another has passed constitutional-carry laws, which do away with gun owners having to pay additional fees or wade through reams of government red tape simply to practice a constitutional right. At the time of this writing, 29 states have constitutional-carry laws. Consequently, the carry of firearms by citizens in those states is regulated only by the Second Amendment—just like the Founders intended.
We have now reached another crucial point in the concealed-carry movement. It is time to eliminate the patchwork of state laws that makes it nearly impossible for lawful Americans to travel from one state to another without having to choose between risking their lives by leaving their firearms at home or jeopardizing their freedom by inadvertently violating the law in more-restrictive states.
Unlike most rights enumerated in the Constitution, rights protected by the Second Amendment are often regulated differently by each individual state. While the rights to speech, religion and protections under due process or search and seizure remain consistent and do not end at a state’s border, gun rights vary from state to state. Although reciprocity agreements may exist between states, they often change, which can create additional confusion.
One avenue for ending this sordid situation is the recent legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and in the U.S. Senate by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
The “Constitutional Carry Reciprocity Act” (H.R. 38 and S. 65) seeks to establish nationwide reciprocity for concealed-carry license holders and residents of constitutional-carry states. More than 120 of Rep. Hudson’s colleagues have signed on as sponsors of this bipartisan initiative in the House, while in the Senate, Sen. Cornyn’s measure already boasts 44 co-sponsors.
Some pro-gun-rights advocates have been skeptical of reciprocity proposals in the past, fearing that gun owners in constitutional-carry states who chose not to renew their permits would be left out in the cold. However, H.R. 38 has no such drawbacks. If you can legally carry in your state of residence, then under this law, you could legally carry anywhere in the nation.
Passing the legislation is crucial, and with President Donald Trump now back in the White House, we finally have a genuine opportunity to address the issues caused by a patchwork of state-carry laws. President Trump stated during the campaign that he would support a reciprocity law if it reached his desk, and in the week following last November’s election, he reaffirmed that commitment.
Our courts have not displayed the backbone or political courage to declare, “Yes, you have the right to carry nationally.” Yet, if there’s one thing that should unite every gun owner, every supporter of the Second Amendment and every NRA member, it’s that very principle.
Unfortunately for American liberty, a strong movement exists to halt the carry-reciprocity train before it even leaves the station. From anti-gun politicians to gun-ban groups, and even among American citizens who seemingly don’t view the Second Amendment as equal to the other rights listed in the Bill of Rights, the pushback remains substantial.
Truth be told, this shouldn’t be a controversial issue at all. It simply seeks to correct a longstanding injustice and treat the right to keep and bear arms the same way as other enumerated rights, such as the right to free speech or due process. However, many people—even some supposedly learned “scholars”—hold a jaded view of the Second Amendment. From a legal perspective, it’s hard to understand where the objection could be rooted, given what the court has stated about privileges or immunities generally and about the Second Amendment specifically.
No matter the cause of these misunderstandings, now is the moment to concentrate on pushing this crucial piece of legislation across the finish line. All NRA members should promptly reach out to their U.S. Representative and both of their U.S. Senators and urge them to support carry reciprocity. The number of chances we have to achieve this, which requires Republicans to hold the majority in both houses and the presidency, may be limited. Now is the time to make it happen.
For information on contacting your lawmakers about reciprocity, visit nraila.org.
