MAYORS AGAINST ILLEGAL GUNS ANNOUNCE OPPOSITION TO CONCEALED CARRY RECIPROCITY BILL CURRENTLY BEFORE CONGRESS

Thune Amendment/S.845/H.R.197/H.R.1620 Would Harm Local Law Enforcement

The bi-partisan coalition of Mayors Against Illegal Guns today announced their opposition to a concealed carry reciprocity measure currently being considered by the U.S. Senate. The bill would allow individuals to carry a weapon in public in a concealed manner nationwide, even if they cannot meet the minimum standards that many states now have in place. The Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition has long believed that the issue of concealed carry regulation is one best left to cities and states. The policies that legislators and law enforcement officials adopt in rural areas may not be best for urban areas – and vice-versa.  And this legislation would mean that the state with the most lax conceal-carry requirements would effectively set the policy for the entire nation. The coalition staked out its position in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid from the more that 400 mayors in the coalition, who represent over 56 million Americans.

“Destroying the concealed carry and illegal possession laws crafted by dozens of states in favor of a new national lowest common denominator is dangerous and makes little sense,” said coalition co-chair Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “This bill would frustrate the efforts of nation’s police and encourage the activities of illegal gun traffickers.  I encourage our elected leaders in Washington to swiftly defeat this bill.”

“State and local officials are the frontline fighters against illegal weapons,” Mayor Menino said. “Because of their on-the-ground knowledge local officials need the flexibility to determine the most effective policies around concealed weapons.  Adopting national legislation that undermines the efforts of local leaders by creating a one size fits all policy would not only be counter-productive; it would threaten public safety and needlessly put our police officers in harm’s way.”

The text of the letter follows:

Dear Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid:

As members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bi-partisan coalition of more than 400 mayors representing more than 56 million Americans, we are writing to express our strong opposition to Congressional bills pushing for so-called “concealed carry reciprocity” (S.845/H.R.197/H.R.1620). If passed, this legislation will infringe upon the ability of state and local governments to protect their citizens with sensible, constitutional, community-specific laws and regulations regarding the carrying of hidden handguns. It will empower gun traffickers, making it easier for them to transport the guns they sell to criminals without being apprehended by law enforcement. Finally, the bill threatens the safety of our police officers by making it far more difficult to distinguish between legal and illegal firearm possession.

The Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition has long believed that the issue of concealed carry regulation is one best left to cities and states. Our coalition believes that what state officials, law enforcement and legislators decide are the best policies for rural areas may not be the best for big cities – and vice-versa.

It is very common for states to set standards for carrying guns on city streets that go beyond simply whether an applicant is able to pass a federal background check. Many states, including those with strong gun rights traditions, have enacted common-sense concealed carry laws that prohibit carrying by persons regarded as unusually dangerous and criminals convicted of certain misdemeanors, or that require safety training for anyone who wants to carry concealed firearms. For example:

• 18 states prohibit alcohol abusers from obtaining a concealed carry permit, including South Carolina, which prevents “habitual drunkards” from carrying guns.
• 24 states prohibit persons convicted of certain misdemeanor crimes from carrying concealed firearms, including Pennsylvania, which bars carrying by those who have been convicted of impersonating a law enforcement officer and other misdemeanor offenses.
• 19 states require the completion of a gun safety program prior to the issuance of a permit, including Nevada, which requires a 40-question written exam and live fire training from three different positions with a certified instructor as components of their required gun safety course.

This legislation would eviscerate all of these standards, moving concealed carry permitting to a new national lowest common denominator. Incredibly, this bill would even allow persons ineligible for a permit in their own state to shop around for lower standards in the many states that offer permits to out-of-state residents, circumventing laws that would otherwise render the applicant ineligible.

Each state ought to have the ability to decide whether to accept concealed carry permits issued in other states. Eight states have chosen to honor concealed carry permits issued in any other state. However, 13 states choose not to recognize any out of state permits. And 29 states recognize permits only from selected states – typically from states with equivalent or higher standards. Any of these options should be available – and it should be each state’s choice to make.

This legislation will also aid and abet gun traffickers. In December 2008, Mayors Against Illegal Guns issued a first-of-its-kind report illustrating how traffickers already rely on states with weak laws as a source for the guns they sell illegally. In fact, the report showed that 30% of crime guns crossed state lines before they were recovered, meaning traffickers and straw purchasers often purchase guns in one state and then drive them to their destinations, often major cities hundreds of miles away. This bill would frustrate law enforcement by allowing criminal traffickers to travel to their rendezvous with loaded handguns in the glove compartment. Even more troubling is that a trafficker holding an out-of-state permit would be able to walk the streets of their city with a backpack full of loaded guns, enjoying impunity from police unless he or she was caught in the act of selling a firearm to another criminal.

Finally, this law would not only frustrate our police officers, it would endanger them. Policing our streets and confronting the risks inherent in even routine traffic stops is already perilous enough without increasing the number of guns that officers encounter. Ambiguity as to the legality of firearm possession could lead to confusion among police officers that could result in catastrophic incidences. Congress should be working to make the job of a police officer more safe – not less.

We urge every member of Congress who respects the prerogatives of local law enforcement, wishes to shield communities from gun trafficking, and strives to protect our nation’s police officers to take immediate action to oppose and vote against this legislation.

Sincerely,

Thomas M. Menino
Mayor of Boston
Coalition Co-Chair

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor of New York City
Coalition Co-Chair

About the Mayors Against Illegal Guns

Since its inception in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from just 15 mayors to over 400 members in over 40 states.  Mayors Against Illegal Guns has united the nation’s mayors around common goals: finding new way to strengthen the enforcement of existing laws, protecting their communities by holding gun offenders and irresponsible gun dealers accountable, demanding access to trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat illegal gun trafficking, and working with legislators to fix gaps, weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other prohibited purchasers to get guns.