CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey has sent a letter to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan asking the governor to recognize West Virginia concealed weapons permits.
The letter comes on the heels of the U.S. Supreme Court decision that found a New York state law placed improper restrictions on issuing concealed carry permits, thereby infringing on the right to carry firearms in public for self-defense.
Maryland, as do California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Rhode Island, has laws similar to New York — the so-called “may-issue” states. Maryland has not extended recognition to West Virginians with concealed weapons permits either via reciprocity or statute.
“For citizens of my state who live near Maryland, work in Maryland, or commute through Maryland, this issue has been especially problematic and worrisome,” Attorney General Morrisey wrote. “It would be mutually beneficial for our states to reach a concealed handgun license reciprocity agreement, and my office is prepared to work with Maryland on this at any time.”
I find myself wondering if an attack through the U.S. Constitution's Art. IV, sec. 2 privileges and immunities clause:
The citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.
might be worth pursuing to require all states to recognize other state licenses. When Sen. Howard listed his understanding of the phrase during 14th Amendment debate he ex0plicitly included RKBA.
I wonder if they'll be able to get other states to recognize Constitutional Carry. After all, Missouri says I can carry without any permit so why doesn't that permission carry over in the same way my permit does?
ReplyDeleteReciprocity (and the fact that KC is on the MO/KS border) is why I have a permit but, especially since both states are Constitutional, why do I need it?