2009

SENATE REJECTS AMENDMENT TO WEAKEN HIDDEN HANDGUN LAWS

Statement of Josh Horwitz, Executive Director, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence

July 22, 2009

The U.S. Senate voted today to defeat the Thune Amendment (No. 1618) to the FY 2010 defense authorization bill (S. 1390). The amendment, co-sponsored by Senators John Thune (R-SD) and David Vitter (R-LA), would have required states to accept concealed handgun permits that are issued by other states. The practical effect of this change would have been to reduce concealed carry permit regulations in the United States to the lowest common denominator. Many states have weak laws and issue individuals permits after only a simple computerized background check—through a federal database that is still missing millions of disqualifying criminal and mental health records.

NATIONAL GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION GROUPS EXPRESS OUTRAGE THAT IN WAKE OF SHOOTINGS, U.S. SENATE IS POISED TO CONSIDER AMENDMENT TO DRAMATICALLY WEAKEN STATE CONCEALED HANDGUN LAWS

Joint Release from Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Violence Policy Center, Legal Community Against Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, and Freedom States Alliance

July 17, 2009

Washington, DC - America’s major gun violence prevention organizations—the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, Freedom States Alliance, Legal Community Against Violence, States United to Prevent Gun Violence, and Violence Policy Center—today issued the following joint statement expressing their outrage that an amendment is scheduled to be considered on Monday, July 20, in the U.S. Senate that would dramatically weaken state regulations concerning the carrying of concealed handguns in public...