Everytown Launches $300k Ad Campaign Urging Congress to Oppose “Concealed Carry Reciprocity” As Ed Boards, Law Enforcement Denounce Dangerous Policy Ahead of Expected House Vote

Everytown for Gun Safety Action fund is announcing it is spending a combined $300,000 on digital, radio and newspaper ads targeting members of Congress, including Mike Coffman (CO-6), Kristin Sinema (AZ-9), Kurt Schrader (OR-5), Fred Upton (MI-6) and Leonard Lance (NJ-7), urging them to oppose the gun lobby’s number one priority legislation “concealed carry reciprocity.”

In case you missed it, newspapers across the country and law enforcement are speaking out against “concealed carry reciprocity.” Ahead of the expected House vote on H.R. 38, the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017,” The Washington Post, New York Daily News, Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune have each editorialized against this dangerous legislation. The Internal Association of Chiefs of Police and Prosecutors Against Gun Violence this week urged Congress to oppose this proposal that would eviscerate state gun laws and make it easy for people with dangerous histories and no training to carry hidden, loaded guns across the country.

Washington Post – “The first gun-related legislation since Las Vegas is . . . concealed carry”:

Voting along party lines, the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday gave approval to a bill that would allow concealed-carry permit holders from one state to legally carry their guns to any other state. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 was the National Rifle Association’s “highest legislative priority,” so Republicans fell in line, brushing aside the reasonable objections of law enforcement officials about the dangerous consequences to public safety.

New York Daily News – “Lead for brains: The GOP values NRA $ over cops and states rights”:

If this disaster passes and gun safety statutes are brought down to the lowest common denominator coast to coast, lives will be lost. It’s that simple.

The Boston Globe – “A modest step on guns, threatened by House GOP”:

Everyone ought to agree that tightening the system makes sense, and just about everyone does. Even the National Rifle Association has spoken positively about the legislation, seeing a chance to trumpet its call for enforcing current gun laws rather than passing new ones.

But now the background check legislation is in jeopardy, because House Republican leaders are tying it to a bill that Democrats sharply oppose — as they should.

The bill would make concealed-carry permits more like driver’s licenses — valid in every state no matter where they’re issued. That means permits doled out by states with weak gun laws, like Mississippi, would be valid in states with tougher laws, like Massachusetts.

Chicago Tribune – “A concealed-carry danger to Illinois”:

We’re prepared to let these neighboring states apply alarmingly loose rules within their own borders. But the Concealed-Carry Reciprocity Act would let their residents pack heat even in Illinois. Really. People who would be legally barred from carrying if they actually lived in Illinois would be free to do so in Illinois. It would create a bizarre disparity.

The Post and Courier – “Protect state gun laws”:

While the House bill would be disastrous policy, it’s also shameful that lawmakers’ most aggressive response to two of the worst mass shootings in United States history over the past two months is to undermine state gun laws rather than pass sensible reforms.

International Association of Chiefs of Police – adopted a resolution formally opposing concealed carry reciprocity legislation:

The IACP holds that the responsibility of carrying a concealed weapon should include a minimum of familiarization and training with the weapon carried, basic instruction on the fundamentals of carrying a concealed weapon, and understanding of when the use of a concealed weapon is legal and/or advisable. Therefore, the IACP opposes Congressional bills similar to the 115th Congress’ H.R. 38 that provide concealed carry permit holders with immunity from arrest or detention for violation of any law or any rule or regulation of a state or any political subdivision thereof related to the possession, transportation, or carrying of firearms

Prosecutors Against Gun Violence – statement opposing combined concealed carry reciprocity and “Fix NICS Act”:

It is outrageous that leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives now are attempting to use the leverage of a bipartisan, common-sense bill like the ‘Fix NICS Act’ to force concealed carry reciprocity on the American people. It has been nearly a decade since Congress has improved our gun violence prevention laws, and House leadership is on the verge of throwing away this opportunity to improve a background check system most Americans want to strengthen.

“Concealed carry reciprocity” wouldn’t create a national standard for who can carry a concealed handgun in public. Instead, it would force each state to accept the concealed carry standards of every other state, even states that have weaker standards, or worse, no standards at all.

More information about the proposed legislation to gut state gun laws is available here. If you have additional questions about this dangerous legislation, don’t hesitate to reach out.

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