Defeat of Thune amendment runs afoul of Constitution's full faith and credit clause

Jurist Legal News & Research
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
9:25 AM ET

Alan Gura [Partner, Gura & Possessky, PLLC]: "Gun rights opponents at last have cause to rejoice. Only 58 members of a lop-sided Democratic-controlled Senate approved of a provision mandating that states give full faith and credit to each other's gun-carry permits. The laws of forty-eight states, at least in theory, allow their peaceable citizenry to carry guns in public for self-defense. Forty of these states either require no license to do so, or issue such licenses as a matter of routine upon meeting basic qualifications. Even in the small minority of hold-out states, gun carry licenses are often available depending on one's residence. Senator Boxer's Marin County neighbors cannot carry a gun to defend themselves, but her constituents in Fresno and Bakersfield suffer no such disability if they dot their i's and cross their t's. Read Article.

Both Kansas Senators, Brownback and Roberts, voted in favor of the amendment as did Senator Bond of Missouri. Senator Claire Mccaskill voted against it.