Yesterday, a new bill was introduced in the Senate by Louisiana's own Senator David Vitter and South Dakota Senator John Thune.  It's called the Respecting States’ Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.  The bill says that gun owners can bring a concealed weapon in-line with state laws without getting a new federal permit. What this means for gun owners is a whole new ability to carry their weapons across state lines that hold the same laws as their home state, without requiring a new permit for each individual state.

“I think we’ve succeeded in striking an effective balance here with a bill that expands our right to bear arms but doesn’t institute a heavy-handed federal permitting system,” said Vitter. “Instead, we’re returning power to individuals and to the states by allowing Americans to carry concealed firearms in accordance with local laws. This doesn’t force states to change their laws and it doesn’t force individuals to go through yet another permitting process – the best solution to streamline a complicated problem.”

The bill in no way forces states, such as Illinois or Washington D.C., which do not have concealed weapon laws instituted to change and doesn't install a national carry law. “Rather than establish a national standard, our bill will ensure that law-abiding citizens are able to carry concealed firearms while at the same time respecting the laws of the respective states they visit,” said Thune.

The bill, S.2213, has currently obtained 27 co-sponsors in the Senate. A similar bill to this one, also written by Vitter and Thune, was two votes shy of passage back in 2009.

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