In summary
In yet another challenge to a Trump administration priority, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is calling on Congress to nix legislation that would allow out-of-state gun owners to pack concealed firearms in public places throughout California.
In yet another challenge to a Trump administration priority, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra is calling on Congress to nix legislation that would allow out-of-state gun owners to pack concealed firearms in public places throughout California.
Becerra and 17 other attorneys general from states across the U.S. sent a letter to Congressional leaders yesterday urging them to kill two concealed-carry reciprocity bills introduced earlier this year. A long-sought goal of the National Rifle Association, the proposed legislation would treat permits to carry concealed firearms much like drivers’ licenses: A gun permit in one state would have to be honored in another, regardless of how much easier it is to get a permit in a state like Utah than in California. Twelve states allow their residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit.
While referencing the mass shooting in Las Vegas that occurred earlier this month, the letter argues that the proposed legislation would make it extremely difficult for local law enforcement to determine when a individual is illegally possessing a firearm in public, because that individual could claim he or she has a valid permit from another state. Other signatories to the letter included attorneys general from New York, Washington, Virginia, Oregon and North Carolina.
Becerra joins a growing chorus of California political leaders who have voiced opposition to concealed carry reciprocity. Last month, lawmakers approved a resolution sponsored by Los Angeles Democratic Assemblyman Miguel Santiago that also urged Congress to kill the bills.
Both the House and Senate versions of concealed carry reciprocity legislation have yet to receive a vote.