WoofersInc
Member
Along these lines I E-mail my Senator when the first Vitter reciprocity was making the rounds and just received a response.
Dear Mr. Curtis:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Reciprocity for Concealed Carry Permits. I value the opinion of every Nevadan and am always grateful to those who take the time to inform me of their views.
I strongly believe that the individual right to bear arms that is guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution must be protected. The right to bear arms is critical to ensuring that the rest of the individual liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights are maintained. Nevadans have a long history of independence, and this independence is built on freedoms such as the right to bear arms. Nevadans count on their Second Amendment rights to defend themselves and preserve their way of life.
As you may know, the Reciprocity for Concealed Carry Permits amendment to H.R. 980 would allow individuals with valid concealed carry permits to legally carry a concealed weapon in states that also offer concealed carry permits. The amendment, which I support, would require permit holders to abide by the host state's concealed carry laws. Regrettably, this amendment never received a vote.
You may be interested to know, however, that I am an original co-sponsor of the District of Columbia Personal Protection Act of 2007 (S. 1001). This legislation would prohibit the D.C. government from enacting laws to prohibit the private ownership or use of firearms for sporting, self-protection, or other lawful purposes. In addition, I cosponsored an unsuccessful amendment to the National Forests, Parks, Public Land, and Reclamation Projects Authorization Act (S. 2483) that allowed for the possession of firearms in compliance with state laws in a U.S. National Park or U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System. Unfortunately, this amendment did not receive a vote either.
In further defense of the Second Amendment, I coauthored a letter to the Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne, with 46 of my Senate colleagues. In this letter we encouraged exceptions to current regulations that would allow individuals to transport and carry firearms consistent with a host state's weapons laws. Secretary Kempthorne responded that it is the Department of Interior's (DOI) intent to update federal regulations related to firearm regulations on park and refuge lands to reflect existing federal and host state weapons laws. On May 30, the DOI proposed a rule that would allow individuals in national parks and wildlife refuges, in accordance with state law, to carry concealed weapons.
As Reciprocity for Concealed Carry Permits and further Second Amendment legislation come up for a vote in the full Senate, please be assured that I will continue to keep your thoughts in mind. Once again, thank you for contacting me on this very important issue. If you should have any further questions or comments, please feel free to write or e-mail me via my website at http://ensign.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
JOHN ENSIGN
