From special reports







U.S. Senators Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) earlier this week announced their support of legislation to provide greater consistency across state lines for Americans with concealed carry privileges.



The Senators are original cosponsors of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (S.446), which would allow people with concealed carry privileges in their home state to exercise those rights in any other state that also has concealed carry laws. Under current law, concealed carry permits are not transferrable between states leading to unnecessary and duplicative permitting requirements. The legislation is sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.).



“This legislation is intended to bring some common sense to concealed carry rights. It takes into account states’ rights while allowing law-abiding gun owners to take their concealed permit privileges with them to states that have similar laws,” Cochran said.



“This bill would protect state authority when it comes to concealed carry permits,” Wicker said. “It would also give law-abiding gun owners the convenience of using their permits in other states that have concealed carry laws. In addition to protecting our second amendment freedoms, I will continue to support sensible measures for gun owners to exercise their rights lawfully.”



In addition to Cochran and Wicker, cosponsors of the legislation also include U.S. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), David Perdue (R-Ga.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), James Risch (R-Idaho), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Luther Strange (R-Ala.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).