Kansas Considers Expanding Concealed Carry Reciprocity :: 02/13/2021

One of the best parts about concealed carry permits is reciprocity, the laws that mean a permit from one state may be recognized in numerous other states. That’s not to say the system is ideal. While reciprocity exists, it’s nowhere nearly as extensive as it should be. Despite the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the Constitution, not every state recognizes every other states’ permits.

It’s a bit of an issue since some states make it virtually impossible for anyone who doesn’t live in the state to get a permit. Then there are states like California that make it virtually impossible for anyone who does live in the state to get a permit, but that’s a topic for another time.

Luckily, some states are willing to try and expand reciprocity for their citizens. The one doing so right now? Kansas.

Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt said the bill would help Kansas maintain reciprocity agreements with other states, which would help Kansans carry concealed firearms elsewhere. The bill is drawing pushback from Democrats and gun control groups that worry the bill would allow people from states with looser gun laws to carry concealed weapons in Kansas.

Which, of course, is what a state’s anti-gunners always say.

However, it’s worth noting that while standards may vary between states, what doesn’t vary is the fact that those with concealed carry permits are among the most law-abiding citizens in the nation. They’re less likely to break the law than doctors, lawyers, judges, and police officers. They’re simply not criminal types.

As such, there’s actually no harm in allowing these citizens from other states to carry in your state. None whatsoever.

Of course, that’s hard to grasp when you’re irrationally terrified of anyone exercising their Second Amendment rights, which describes at least a large chunk of the anti-gun crowd.

Unfortunately, all of this could have been rendered unnecessary had Congress passed national reciprocity during the first two years of the Trump administration. At that point, all of this would have been law. While Democrats would likely still oppose such a measure, it’s unlikely they’d really repeal anything, which means a single permit would have been valid in all 50 states.

They didn’t, though, so it’s now up to the states to try and expand the states their citizens can carry in. Part of that means they have to open their states up to residents from elsewhere. That’s kind of how reciprocity works, after all.

If the opponents of this measure can find me any evidence that reciprocity somehow increases crime, violence, or anything else, I’d be more than happy to take a look. However, I know damn good and well that they can’t produce any. You can’t produce what doesn’t exist, after all, so they need to sit down and chill out.

Bad people do bad things to good people. They don’t always do it in the good people’s home state, though, so reciprocity saves lives, much like every other aspect of gun rights. It’s time people started understanding that.

https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2021/02/13/kansas-considers-expanding-concealed-carry-n40971