National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012 Enters the Senate

We don’t follow the political game much here on ITS, but I feel that the Senate bill, S.2188, is an important one to many of our readers like it is to me.

Essentially, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2012 is the Senate companion to H.R. 822, which was introduced to the U.S. House last November and passed by a vote of 272-154. There’s been some healthy debate on the merits of such an act, which would allow anyone with a valid state-issued concealed firearm permit to carry concealed in any state that issues a concealed firearm permit, or that doesn’t prohibit carrying concealed for lawful purposes.

Much like a driver’s license from one state is valid in another, the Right-to-Carry reciprocity would allow traveling concealed-carry permit holders the same rights to self defense as they have in their home state.

As mentioned by the NRA-ILA here, these bills will not create federal gun registration or gun owner licensing, nor would they allow any federal agency to establish a federal standard for a carry permit or impose gun control restrictions of any kind. The bill would also have no effect on states that allow carrying concealed without a permit and residents of those states (Arizona, Alaska, Wyoming and Vermont) would be able to carry in other states by obtaining a permit from a state that offers non-resident permits.

While I don’t like government intervention as much as the next guy, I really feel that this will help more than it will hurt. Living in Texas I hate that I travel to Vegas every year for the SHOT Show and can’t carry due to Nevada not recognizing the TX permit. They certainly recognize other states, but snub TX for some reason. Perhaps they don’t like our Tactical Governor?

What are your thoughts on the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act? Do you think it’s a good thing?