This is no different than respecting other states drivers licenses. Cars are infinitely more deadly than guns, yet this never comes up because it's a non-issue. Permit holders, as a group, have have a lower rate of felony commission than police officers. This is NOT a roving gang of thugs coming into your state, but responsible, armed citizens who are only interested in going about their business. The armed thugs ALREADY travel freely between states with their illegal weapons.

What everyone against the argument of nationwide concealed carry fails to mention is the fact that felons are going to carry illegally without a permit. For a person to obtain a lawful concealed carry permit they have to be (even in the least strict states) passed through a criminal background check, finger printed, a photo taken of them which clearly displays their face, hairline and eyes and then cleared with the state police of that state. Anyone with a criminal background or anyone found to be a threat to others based on their mental health or past based criminal activity is unable to obtain a permit. This implies if they do want to carry, they will do it illegally. For those who have to travel across state borders and wish to protect ourselves (the average police response time is 5 minutes, the average person can bleed out in 2) the individual state permit model is a burden. As mentioned previously, cars are much more dangerous than guns as more people die in car accidents than by guns every year, as well as shooting being the safest sport at .1% of the sports injuries as compared to other sports.

California is a a "May Issue" state. Illinois is the lone state which does not issue any permits - and look at their violent crime rate, DC also doesn't issue permits and they are worse off than IL.

May issue states simply encourage ring kissing (votes, campaign contributions etc.) of elected officials (Sherriffs/Judges/Police chiefs) to get a permit. It also permits discriminatory practices by those officials.

It is already illegal by Federal law for a convicted felon to posess a firearm, whether he has a permit or not is immaterial.

The state Congresswoman McCarthy represents is NY and NY is an unfair, shameful state when it comes to issuing permits. It depends to the county the person lives, some counties never issue some do and some take up to year to obtain. The loops the person is suppose to jump is unconstitutional, unfair and expensive. The states with minimum requirement is all needed, which is clean criminal and mental record, fingerprints and sone photos. Everything else imposed by states like NY is a shame and these curropt states lead and represented by these incompetent politician has to face the rights of the people. Congresswoman McCarthy can forget about my vote next election.

It's a shame that we have to put up with addlebrain morons like Congress Woman McCarthy. If she is so worried about government controll she needs to be doing something to stop Obama Care.If yyou put her and Pelosi in a sack and shake them up you would end up with the same on top as you have on the bottom. LeRoy.

I am fearful that this law may give the federal government power that it shouldn't have. (Power to take away later what it gives now.) I would prefer that the unconstitutional laws of the "may issue" and "not issue" states just be removed from the books.

Now she is worried about states rights..Where were you when Obamacare was being pushed through? You were in that parade. I sent your office an e-mail about Gov. run healthcare and 2.5 yrs later and I'm still waitng for a response . Time for the hypocrite to get voted out.

If you have any questions on the CWP law or training visit www.e2c.us or 1-866-371-6111 and the Instructors at Equip 2 Conceal will be happy to help you.

James, you said exactly what I was going to say! There isn't anything that Carolyn McCarthy doesn't think the Federal Gov't. SHOULDN'T control! States rights are foreign to her. The only issues she is concerned with are gun-control (and we will all need guns with the coming "Revolution") and scaring Senior Citizens into believing that the Evil Republicans want to "take away" Social Security, Mediare, Medicaid, yada yada. During the healtcare debacle, I called and called and wrote and even went in person to her office and NO ONE WOULD MEET WITH ME. Ms. McCarthy refuses to have a public Town Hall during August and only had her half-hour "phoney Telephone Town Halls". She is too busy living in her home out East in between "dropping in on Senior Centers". Time to retire Ms. McCarthy permanently to her Suffolk County Estate.

God Bless you all for being so informed. Gives me hope.

i have a permit to carry a concealed weapon and i also suffer from post traumatic stress disorder i have had my permit for over three years now ive only fired my pistol once or twice in that time and that was at the range but from what i understand your military service which resulted in my disability can not be held against me of course i passed the crimminal backround check with flying colors but im from ma. and ive lived in florida for over twenty years now but i have people in ma. who i visit so if i were to drive up there the first thing you notice in ma when you cross the border not welcome to ma. its their gun law an automatic year in jail now if i deside to drive to ma im wondering if my permit is still good there and if not how do i get one so that i can carry while im visiting its more for protection while on the road than anything i have the right to protect myself i would think

Congresswoman McCarthy’s information is inaccurate, as usual when it comes to firearms. California has over 35,000 active permits to carry a concealed weapon. Granted these are mostly issued in the more rural counties, but not entirely. Sacramento County has over nine hundred active civilian permits, with over six hundred approved and pending issuance, to civilians.
IT sure seems that she likes to shoot from the mouth, without any knowledge to back it up….

Fundamental rights cannot be 'balanced' with ANYTHING, they are fundamental. The "rational basis" test is for lesser rights that can, to an extent, be attenuated when a "compelling state interest" can be proved, but fundamental rights CANNOT. The right to arms is a fundamental right, hence it not only applies universally, but states that infringe the right with arrogant impunity (read, arbitrary "may issue" powers) must be dragged kicking and screaming into compliance. That includes honoring any permit from any other state.

This pending legislation is a classic and appropriate use of the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution: It requires that licensing done in one state be recognized in every other which licenses for concealed carry. Carrying within a state on any license requires that local laws be observed.
This correspondes with each state recognizing every other's motor vehicle and marriage licenses, as has long been mandated by the feds.
I see this as a step on the path to the return of Constitutional Carry - with a long way to go. The anti-gunners are fearful of this as it will further weaken their propaganda position when, once again, their "blood in the streets" rants turn out false.

BHirsh: Perhaps not proper as the Founders intended, but a far better use than regulating a corn which a farmer grows to feed his family and animals!
Seriously, I see this as another step in the direction of what you and I both seem to want: Constutional Carry everywhere.
If passed, the antis will cry "blood in the streets", as they did when most states went to "shall issue". When CHLs cross state lines and don't commit the expected mayhem, then the hot air will leak out of their red balloon and we can move on to the next step, and the next, to bring back the condition of being "armed" as normal to this nation!

My colleagues and I have been working to enact new laws banning the possession of firearms except for Law Enforcement and the Military. I predict that within 10 years there will be a total ban on the possession of firearms and ammunition by citizens in the United States. Only then will we see a reduction in gun violence.

Ha ha ha ha: What've you smokin?
Since the demise of the federal AWB in 2004, "Gun Control" has been irreversably sliding toward its eventual death. Congress and the American Public are more & more immune to your lies.

Mark T: Do you and your colleagues support things like Fast & Furious, where the ATF gave US guns to Mexican Cartels to try to "prove" that American gun stores were fueling drug violence in Mexico? Are you that low?
Why don't you ask British subjects if they feel safer since virtually all guns have been removed from the hands of law-abiding civilians?

Mark T said, "I predict that within 10 years there will be a total ban on the possession of firearms and ammunition by citizens in the United States." I'll vote for that Mark as long as it includes criminals.

Mark T: There has been a ban on illegal drugs in this country forever. How is that ban working out, Mark? Ditto, when we banned the consumption of Alcohol back in the 20's. That worked out well--does the name Al Capone ring a bell?

Lynn Borowski:
Mark T. probably thinks that the Constitution means whatever he & his friends want it to, when ever they feel like changing it.
The Founders intended the Federal Constitution to be the bedrock on which our nation was built. Progressives wish that it were built on sand, so they could change it with a shovel and a bucket.

I find it funny that the congresswoman NOW is concerned with state's rights. How about all the other bills she has voted on that have betrayed state's rights? Please stop Congress woman, you are offending us, but that never bothered you before.

Incredible. Ms. McCarthy talks longingly about "States Rights". This is simple. States don't have rights. States have powers, powers enumerated in the US Constitution, not rights. There is a heck of a difference between a government power and a right. That a lawmaker would be so confused is a tribute to politics over justice, control over freedom, rampant crime over self protection.

The Brady Campaign Scorecard says California is the state with the most gun control laws. Interestingly California has a murder rate over 400% higher than the state with the LEAST gun control.

In 2010 Washington DC had twenty seven TIMES more murders than El Paso. Both towns are located on the edge of the nation and both have large minority populations. Guess which city is larger. Hint, it is not flooded with stock trading, self serving politicians who want to control every aspect of people's lives.

McCarthy loves to talk about how other nations with extreme gun control have fewer gun deaths. But she ignores our neighbor to the south, Mexico. In 2010 the medium sized Mexican city of Juarez had more murders than America's six largest cities combined. More than 30% of the entire US. This despite the type of gun control Ms. McCarty screams for.

"Two states – Illinois and California – don’t allow non-law enforcement private citizens to carry a concealed handgun at all (by not issuing such permits)."

I'm sorry Mrs. McCarthy, but that is incorrect. I live in California, in San Diego County, and I have a Concealed Carry License. California is slowly coming around and acknowledging that the Constitution is an important document and that freedom is important. Still too few of our elected representatives, not to mention both our Senators, have yet to see the light and support and defend the Constitution as their oath of office required, but the anti-civil rights people will eventually go the way of Jim Crow and others who have an irrational fear of freedom and hatred for equality.

I agree with you Carolyn . No to the allowing of intra state gun licensees movement. As you said some states are strict , most are not.We have enough aviability of illegal guns right here without allowing Bill bob etc to come into a crowded enviorment and to start shooting because some one bumped him. This is not about politicis I am a life long Republican Michael M. O"Donald

Remember, the so called anti-gun folks are not against having guns, they have them themselves, since they are politically connected enough to get permits. They just don’t want YOU to have a gun.

Why is it whenever someone does something bad with a gun, they want to take them away from everyone who didn’t do anything?