The U.S. Senate failed to pass a federal handgun amendment that would have had a significant affect on permit holders in Texas.
The bill would have allowed people who have obtained handgun licenses in one state to carry them into states where they may not have been eligible otherwise, meaning a Texan could freely tote their gun straight into hippie-ville Seattle with no problem. Or, someone who may not meet the state of Texas' requirements could carry here if they were licensed in another state with less stringent requirements.
The bill was (of course) Republican backed, by (the surprisingly un-Charleton Heston-like) Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, but he needed 60 Senators in favor of gun rights to pass it.
The vote was in favor, but only 58-39 -- two votes shy, the New York Times reported Wednesday afternoon.
The proposed measure stirred up quite a tumult among anti-gun advocates who are convinced that if someone is a legal carrier with no incidents in one state, they could suddenly become prone to violence in another.
The Brady Campaign commenced stringent opposition, noting in a press release the vast difference in standards among states:
* Mississippi residents can get a concealed weapons permit without any training whatsoever, including ever shooting a pistol on a range. Those Mississippi permit holders could carry concealed firearms in New York City, where police have broad discretion to deny permits, or Dallas, Texas, where permit applicants must undergo at least 10 hours of training.
(Does 10 hours of training really seem like that much more than none at all to anyone?)
* Alaska residents who have committed repeated violent misdemeanors or have committed misdemeanor sex offenses against minors would be permitted to carry concealed guns in 47 other states, even if those states completely ban gun possession by persons with violent or child sexual abuse misdemeanor convictions.
Holly LaFon has written and worked for various local publications including D Magazine and Examiner.
