National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill

Don’t know if you saw this one slip through the news. Doubt it got much play in the big city medias.

U.S. House Representative Richard Hudson, (R-NC) introduced a bill, HR 38 this season which, if passed through the long and twisted road of our legislative process, would recognize all state Concealed Carry Permits to be legal and valid across all 50 states.

One of the nifty details with this bill, is there are 178 co-sponsors signed on. It’s not just a throw away. That is a lot of legislators behind it. Not too surprising, is 177 of the co-sponsors are Republicans… and 1 Democrat.

Congressman Jim Jordan, chairs the Judiciary Committee and said “Our First Amendment rights do not change from one state to another and our Second Amendment rights should not either. Law-abiding citizens should be able to a concealed firearm between states without worrying about conflicting state criminal laws or onerous civil suits.” Well how spot on is that logic?

Over the years, this reciprocity idea has been kicked around and tried various times, often as a “feel good” bill destined for the waste basket with the legislator still getting credit for trying.

It should be a no-brainer for all states to honor all state permits and licensing process. Your state issued driver’s license is good across the board and coast to coast. Even your bargain priced marriage license is treated as valid (no matter the mileage) in every state…. even California! “Pull over there Ma’am. Lemme see that marriage license.”

The concept of reciprocity is certainly Constitution based with all state’s citizens to be treated equally coupled with Second Amendment guarantees. Easy right? Those freedoms should not disappear because you cross a state line. It’s not like you are going into another country. Quoting the Constitutional Scholar from “Stripes” Private John Winger, “Czechoslovakia? It’s like going to Wisconsin.”

Apparently the bill has moved through the House Judiciary Committee, and has now been routed over for further consideration. One source says only about 1 of 4 such bills make it past this consideration. Govtrack.us lists the prognosis of this bill making it into law at about 37%. Not too bad actually, and much better odds than I would have anticipated just hearing the topic. It makes so much sense, supports Constitutional rights and freedoms and what’s not to love?

Obviously the left will oppose any Pro-gun initiative just as hard as they voted en masse against stopping transformer boys from competing in women’s sports this month. All Dem Senators voted against that law in March. One thing you have to admit about the Dems, is they hang together on party line issues- no matter how wrong headed the issue. The sports issue recently had 69% of Americans supporting the ban- yet the Dems voted against it. I am sure they will throw this Concealed Carry Reciprocity into the “We’re Against It” basket too.

Illinois of course will be dead set against it. Your free 2 minute Illinois Concealed Carry history lesson is included here for free:

1. Illinois liberal legislators are anti-gun. Period.

2. All new or innovative gun laws in the state come from Chicago representatives. They are all based upon the idea Chicago wants less guns, because if there are more guns they might shoot people. See how good it is working? Only 2982 people shot in the city in 2024. (Yes. Shooting capital of the U.S.) You can forget about ever seeing legal suppressors in Illinois for the same reason. They fear bad people might shoot people but more quietly so law abiding people should not have them too. It’s a wonder we are still allowed to drive cars… after all, drunk drivers misuse them and hurt people.

3. Illinois was the absolute last state in the nation to pass Concealed Carry law- and then it was only because the courts made them knuckle under and grant it. All of the Anti-CCW arguments about “blood will run in the streets” and it will be the wild wild west with street shootings (you mean like Chicago every day?) were of course completely feces based.

4. Since they were forced to grant Concealed Carry, Illinois made the qualifications to get a permit the hardest and most elaborate in the nation.

5. Oh, and forget about reciprocity for a non-Illinois citizen with an out of state CCW permit. Illinois (being dicks…) refuses to grant that any other state laws could possibly be as good as our laws. Our laws are so much “smarter” and “gooder” than anybody else. Puh-lease.

I am hoping the national reciprocity bill can make it through to become federal law for all the right reasons. Fingers crossed. Professor John Lott said it first, and published the excellent book about it- “More Guns Equal Less Crime.”