Enough already with the guns. This seems to be the year when the National Rifle Association is out to prove that it controls all 50 states, using its legislative clout in Washington to make gains that may never be rolled back. Lawmakers seem so afraid to cross fanatical gun owners that they just won't stand up and be counted.
The new test of Congress's backbone will come Wednesday, when the Senate votes on an amendment by John Thune, a Republican from South Dakota, that will effectively prevent states from enforcing their own gun laws. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave a green light to the vote because he's afraid to antagonize the NRA ahead of the 2010 elections.
Thune's plan is to let any gun owner cross state lines with a gun and be bound by the lenient laws in his home state, rather than follow the statutes in the state he is visiting. This effectively creates a lowest common denominator, allowing a state such as Alaska, which allows repeat violent offenders to carry concealed weapons, to prevent the 35 states that prohibit concealed weapons to enforce their own laws.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
More than 400 city mayors and most big-city police forces have come out against the law. Democrats are scrambling to try to defeat it, but key legislators seem reluctant to stand up and oppose it.
The irony is that the staunchest supporters are the same lawmakers who profess to believe in state's rights. In fact, they only believe in states' rights when they happen to agree with what the state is planning to do. They're quite happy to impose their own views on others whenever it suits them. Thune's defense is that carrying a concealed weapon is a fundamental right that doesn't disappear when you cross a state border, an argument that the Supreme Court explicitly chose not to endorse as recently as last year.
As the New York Times points out in an editorial today, this is a radical proposal, one that will nullify dozens of state laws, put police officers at risk, and increase gun violence.
And before the gun advocates let loose with their usual complaints that criminals will get guns no matter what, consider this: In the last two years, people with permits to carry concealed weapons ended up killing seven police officers and 44 civilians, sometimes in cases of mistaken identity. The simple fact is that it's not just criminals who are a danger when it comes to concealed weapons.
Thune wants to attach his amendment to the unrelated Pentagon authorization bill. He'll need 60 votes to succeed. If he does prevail, let's hope it gets dropped in conference with the House. If not, it's grounds enough for Obama to veto the bill.
Update: On Wednesday, supporters of the Thune amendment fell two votes short of the 60 needed for adoption. Thune vowed to try again later this year.
-
AI Regulation is Looming: Kiplinger Economic ForecastsEconomic Forecasts Find out what Washington and regulators have planned for artificial intelligence.
-
The Biden Tax Plan: How the Build Back Better Act Could Affect Your Tax BillPolitics Depending on your income, the Build Back Better Act recently passed by the House could boost or cut your future tax bills.
-
Kiplinger's 2020 Election ForecastPolitics For nearly a century, The Kiplinger Letter has forecasted the outcome of presidential elections to keep readers informed of what's coming and what it means for them. Here's our call for 2020.
-
The 2020 Election and Your MoneyPolitics We’ve assessed how the presidential candidates’ stances on financial issues will affect your wallet.
-
5 HEROES Act Provisions with a Good Chance of Becoming LawPolitics The massive federal stimulus bill just passed by the House of Representatives is "dead on arrival" in the Senate. But a few proposals in the bill have enough bipartisan support to eventually become law.
-
Vote by Mail: A State-by-State Guide to Absentee Ballot VotingPolitics With health authorities recommending people continue to social distance, the idea of voting by mail is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
-
9 Ways COVID-19 Will Change the 2020 ElectionsPolitics The 2020 election will be like no other in history, as the COVID-19 pandemic will upend the business of politics as usual.
-
How to Run for Local OfficePolitics If you’ve ever thought that you could do a better job than the elected officials currently in office, here’s how to launch a campaign—and win.
