National Reciprocity Allows California Residents to Escape State’s Concealed Carry Stranglehold

Under Rep. Richard Hudson’s (R-NC-8) national reciprocity legislation, a person with a resident or non-resident carry permit from one state would be allowed to carry in every state.

This framework means that residents of California could combat the Democrat-sponsored stranglehold on concealed carry permit issuance by getting a non-resident permit from another state and thereafter carrying concealed in California as outlined in Hudson’s bill.

As of December 3, 2016, the Los Angeles Times reported that California had fewer than 80,000 “active concealed-carry permits” in the state. Out of a population of roughly 39 million, fewer than 80,000 people are licensed to carry a gun for self-defense.

The low number of concealed carry permits is not because citizens lack the desire. Rather, it is because the Democrats have fought for a “good cause” rule that turns the Second Amendment on its head and forces law-abiding citizens to convince the state they have a “good cause” for carrying a gun.

In other words, California residents cannot just carry a gun because they have the right to do so.

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the circuit that covers California, ruled residents do not have a right to carry outside the home to begin with. So in California, concealed carry is a privilege handed out by a not-so-benevolent government, and the result is only 80,000 residents out of 39 million have permits.

California keeps a stranglehold on concealed carry by refusing to recognize the carry license from any other state. This means tourists, just like residents, are at the mercy of the criminal element.

Enter Rep. Hudson’s national reciprocity legislation. It will break this stranglehold by forcing California to honor concealed carry permits from the other 49 states. Hudson told the Washington Free Beacon that his legislation covers non-resident permits also, which means it will allow law-abiding Californians with a non-resident permit from one of the other 49 states to carry in California, as well.

Hudson’s legislation will bring this same freedom to Illinois residents. Illinois maintains a stranglehold on its citizens by refusing to recognize licenses from other states.

In short, Hudson’s bill will fix the confusing patchwork of concealed carry laws in America by treating a concealed carry license from any state with the same validity that a driver’s license has in every state.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of “Bullets with AWR Hawkins,” a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.