Thune-Vitter CCW Reciprocity Amendment to S. 1390

South Dakota Senator John Thune & Louisiana Senator David Vitter have offered a Thune-Vitter CCW Reciprocity Amendment to Defense Authorization bill S. 1390.

More from the NRA-ILA:

. . . Contrary to "states' rights" claims from opponents who usually favor sweeping federal gun control, the amendment is a legitimate exercise of Congress's constitutional power to protect the fundamental rights of citizens (including the right to keep and bear arms and the right of personal mobility). States would still have the authority to regulate the time, place and manner in which handguns are carried . . .

I see little difference between the Federal government requiring the States to recognize drivers licenses & requiring the States to recognize CCW permits with the exception of the fact that there is no fundamental right to drive a car.

Update 1: 7/21/09 - Illinois Senator Roland Burris spoke out against the CCW Reciprocity Amendment on the Senate Floor on the afternoon of July 21st. His argument was that it ignores the violence & illegal shootings going on in Chicago on a daily basis. I submit that it actually recognizes it. It is places like Chicago where law abiding citizens have all the more reason to arm themselves in defense of self & family. The criminals are already armed, so why should we continue to disarm the law abiding?

Update 2: 7/22/09 - Although the majority of the Senate voted in favor of the amendment, it failed to reach the procedural 60 vote minimum by a margin of 2 votes - it received a vote of 58 in favor vs. 39 against with 3 not voting - if only a couple of those not voting could have made a decision it could have passed. More from NRA-ILA.

Update 3: How did your Senator Vote?

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---58:

• Alexander (R-TN)
• Barrasso (R-WY)
• Baucus (D-MT)
• Bayh (D-IN)
• Begich (D-AK)
• Bennet (D-CO)
• Bennett (R-UT)
• Bond (R-MO)
• Brownback (R-KS)
• Bunning (R-KY)
• Burr (R-NC)
• Casey (D-PA)
• Chambliss (R-GA)
• Coburn (R-OK)
• Cochran (R-MS)
• Collins (R-ME)
• Conrad (D-ND)
• Corker (R-TN)
• Cornyn (R-TX)
• Crapo (R-ID)
• DeMint (R-SC)
• Dorgan (D-ND)
• Ensign (R-NV)
• Enzi (R-WY)
• Feingold (D-WI)
• Graham (R-SC)
• Grassley (R-IA)
• Gregg (R-NH)
• Hagan (D-NC)
• Hatch (R-UT)
• Hutchison (R-TX)
• Inhofe (R-OK)
• Isakson (R-GA)
• Johanns (R-NE)
• Johnson (D-SD)
• Kyl (R-AZ)
• Landrieu (D-LA)
• Lincoln (D-AR)
• Martinez (R-FL)
• McCain (R-AZ)
• McConnell (R-KY)
• Murkowski (R-AK)
• Nelson (D-NE)
• Pryor (D-AR)
• Reid (D-NV)
• Risch (R-ID)
• Roberts (R-KS)
• Sessions (R-AL)
• Shelby (R-AL)
• Snowe (R-ME)
• Tester (D-MT)
• Thune (R-SD)
• Udall (D-CO)
• Udall (D-NM)
• Vitter (R-LA)
• Warner (D-VA)
• Webb (D-VA)
• Wicker (R-MS)

NAYs ---39:

• Akaka (D-HI)
• Bingaman (D-NM)
• Boxer (D-CA)
• Brown (D-OH)
• Burris (D-IL)
• Cantwell (D-WA)
• Cardin (D-MD)
• Carper (D-DE)
• Dodd (D-CT)
• Durbin (D-IL)
• Feinstein (D-CA)
• Franken (D-MN)
• Gillibrand (D-NY)
• Harkin (D-IA)
• Inouye (D-HI)
• Kaufman (D-DE)
• Kerry (D-MA)
• Klobuchar (D-MN)
• Kohl (D-WI)
• Lautenberg (D-NJ)
• Leahy (D-VT)
• Levin (D-MI)
• Lieberman (ID-CT)
• Lugar (R-IN)
• McCaskill (D-MO)
• Menendez (D-NJ)
• Merkley (D-OR)
• Murray (D-WA)
• Nelson (D-FL)
• Reed (D-RI)
• Rockefeller (D-WV)
• Sanders (I-VT)
• Schumer (D-NY)
• Shaheen (D-NH)
• Specter (D-PA)
• Stabenow (D-MI)
• Voinovich (R-OH)
• Whitehouse (D-RI)
• Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3:

• Byrd (D-WV)
• Kennedy (D-MA)
• Mikulski (D-MD)