Can Republicans Finally Pass a Firearms Reciprocity Law?

Supporters of the Second Amendment expect big things from the Donald Trump administration. A Supreme Court justice who respects the Constitution is one of the top priorities, as is rolling back some of President Obama’s misguided executive actions.

But there may also be an opportunity to pass some new pro-gun legislation – after all, why should we always be in a position to defend our liberties? Let’s play some damn offense for once!

That’s the spirit behind a new House bill that would force every state to recognize gun permits legal in other parts of the country. Rep. Richard Hudson introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 on Tuesday in an effort to get the ball rolling.

“Our Second Amendment right doesn’t disappear when we cross state lines, and this legislation guarantees that,” Hudson said in a statement. “The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 is a common sense solution to a problem too many Americans face. It will provide law-abiding citizens the right to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits.”

This has been a pet cause for Hudson, who has introduced similar legislation in recent years. With Barack Obama in the White House, of course, it never stood a chance. Things may be different, however, with Donald Trump taking office. Trump has the full support and backing of the National Rifle Association, which has consistently endorsed a reciprocity law.

If passed, the bill would clear up the confusing system of conflicting laws that currently puts gun owners in unnecessary danger. As it stands, a permit holder in one state can be fined or imprisoned just for accidentally following the wrong laws across the border. This situation doesn’t keep anyone safe.

Gun control groups like Everytown for Gun Safety are naturally fighting the bill, claiming that national reciprocity is “a dangerous policy that would force all 50 states to let dangerous people carry hidden, loaded guns in public–even people with violent criminal records, stalkers, and domestic abusers.”

Meanwhile, of course, they claim that Chicago’s gun violence is the result of lax firearms laws in Indiana.

Even if you’re not gung-ho about the Second Amendment, this law simply makes sense. Hopefully, with Republicans in charge of the show in Washington, we’ll see a lot more legislation that passes that test.