Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall recently called for Congress to pass nationwide concealed carry reciprocity as lawmakers consider legislation in the coming days.
The U.S. House of Representatives is slated to soon vote for the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would create a framework for lawful concealed carry across state lines.
Currently, states that allow concealed carry permits can also allow reciprocity with other states, removing the need to acquire a new license when traveling through or visiting another state. The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would authorize those who are lawfully allowed to carry a concealed firearm in their home state to practice the same right in any other state where concealed carry is legal.
In a letter joined by 23 other states' attorneys general, Marshall urged the House to pass the legislation while refuting anti-gun advocates' talking points.
"Congress has the power to resolve this issue, and we are calling for immediate action on H.R. 38," Marshall said. "Although Alabama no longer requires a permit to carry a concealed firearm, Alabamians traveling around our country might opt to purchase a permit to enjoy national reciprocity and would no longer face the risk of criminal penalties simply for exercising their constitutional rights in states with more restrictive laws."
The letter notes that anyone prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm is excluded under the bill, refuting the rhetoric of those opposing the bill. The attorneys general also cite independent studies showing that concealed carry licensees are more law-abiding than the general population.
"Concealed carry is a constitutional right, and it can have substantial public safety benefits by allowing people the means to respond to emergent threats to themselves or others when police are not immediately available to intervene," the letter reads. "Yet our constituents are threatened with arrest, prosecution and mandatory prison time for technical violations of licensing or possession laws involving conduct that is perfectly legal in all but a handful of states, most of which have well-established history and practice of suppressing the right to keep and bear arms. This is unacceptable, and Congress has the authority and the duty to protect these rights."
Oklahoma, West Virginia, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming all joined in the letter.
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