I’m dismayed at the proposed legislation before Congress that would allow individuals to carry a permitted concealed weapon in a state other than where the permit was issued, regardless of local permit requirements.
Simply put, this is a dangerous bill. If passed, anyone with a concealed carry permit in their home state could supersede the local laws of the state they’re visiting. So someone visiting New York (where I was born and raised) from another state, such as Alaska, would be able to ignore the laws that New Yorkers find fitting for their home, and carry their hidden weapon unfettered. Alaska ranks No. 1 in gun deaths per capita in the U.S.
Republicans are fierce advocates of states’ rights, but in this instance they’re demanding federal interference, completely ignoring the rights that states have to legislate their local populace. It’s interesting that they depart from one of their core beliefs as a party to support the NRA in this dangerous, misguided bill.
As I often hear from Republicans that they don’t want their guns taken away, I’ll respond that I don’t want my rights, as a Washingtonian, taken away because someone in Kansas can’t leave their gun at home!
