Press Releases
Boozman Supports Bill to Protect Right to Carry Lawfully Concealed Firearms Across State Lines
Mar 20 2012
WASHINGTON D.C. –U.S. Senator John Boozman supports legislation that would allow law abiding citizens who can legally carry guns in their home state the right to carry lawfully concealed firearms across state lines.
“Our Second Amendment right does not end just because we travel to another state. This right cannot be dictated by state borders,” Boozman said. “We owe it to our law abiding gun owners to address national gun right concerns.”
Boozman is a cosponsor of the Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act introduced today by Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and David Vitter (R-La.). The legislation strikes a balance between the individual and state rights by allowing citizens to carry a concealed firearm across state lines if they either have a valid permit or if, under the state of their residence, they are allowed to do so. When traveling across state lines, individuals must follow the laws of the host state, including laws concerning specific types of locations in which firearms may or may not be carried.
“I am pleased to introduce legislation that strikes a balance between state’s rights and individual’s Second Amendment rights outlined by the Constitution,” said Thune. “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.”
“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 legislation has 27 Senate cosponsors and is supported by the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and National Shooting Sports Foundation.
Boozman coauthored similar legislation in the 111th Congress as a member of the House of Representatives.