Ready, Set, Vote… The Senate vote on the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 can’t come fast enough for some increasingly impatient firearm rights activists. In the background, the Republican controlled Senate is in no hurry to call for a vote. According to Fox News, “any Senate vote on concealed carry is not expected until next spring.”
“This legislation provides a solution to the confusing patchwork of concealed carry laws and ensures that our citizens’ Second Amendment rights do not end at the state line,” expressed Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 was amended to also include the Fix NICS Act. The Fix NICS Act has been placed in the spotlight since the tragic mass shooting that occurred last year in Sutherland Springs, Texas. The United States Air Force did not submit the shooter’s assault conviction into the national database, which would have restricted him from purchasing a firearm. This act would require agencies to submit their data by a specific time frame deadline and would be backed by federal grant incentives as well as penalties to government agencies for not reporting.
Although it has not been decided, the senate may want see the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act amended further as not only does the act allow a concealed handgun permit to be honored across all state lines but also allows permit holders to carry a concealed weapon in school zones in any state. This would further complicate the vote as that means that they would be amending the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and subsequently create more political tension as some feel this only eliminates state’s rights.
It is going to be a tough vote to win seeing as it would require all 52 Senate Republicans and 8 Senate Democrats to get the 60 votes necessary for this to pass.
To keep up with all of the latest regarding the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017, visit here.
