The U.S. House of Representatives struck a blow for the Second Amendment and common sense Wednesday with the passage of legislation allowing Americans who are licensed to carry firearms in their home state to travel freely with their guns across state lines.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act passed on a mostly party-line vote of 231-198, though six Democrats voted in favor of the bill and 14 Republicans voted "no."
Right now states routinely recognize driver's licenses, marriages and divorces, adoptions and the like from other states. But that doesn't always happen with concealed-carry laws. That means someone who can carry a gun legally in one state could risk arrest and prosecution just by driving across a state line.
Which is the reason for this bill. Americans have the right to keep and bear arms. It's not a privilege but a right. And rights do not end at the state line.
Assuming, of course, the U.S. Senate gets on the ball and also approves nationwide concealed-carry reciprocity. The going will be tougher there, even with Republicans in control of the chamber. They need a unified front and at least eight Democrats on their side to avoid a filibuster.
With any luck that will happen. Concealed-carry reciprocity should be the law of the land.