Hudson Encourages Judiciary to Consider Concealed Carry Reciprocity at Markup
February 13, 2019
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2019
Hudson Encourages Judiciary to Consider Concealed Carry Reciprocity at Markup
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) released the following statement in advance of today’s House Judiciary Committee markup of H.R. 8, a bill to drastically expand background checks:
“Democrats aren’t interested in talking about common sense solutions that can actually help prevent gun violence—like supporting local law enforcement, ensuring laws and protocols are followed to spot warning signs, improving mental health care and implementing national concealed carry reciprocity,” said Rep. Hudson. “That was reinforced last week when they blocked my friend Steve Scalise – a survivor of gun violence – from testifying at their hearing because he wanted to talk about my concealed carry reciprocity bill. Today’s so-called universal background check bill would have done nothing to prevent recent mass violence events and would only serve to punish law-abiding citizens. I will continue to stand up against these attempts to restrict our Second Amendment rights.”
Rep. Hudson is nationally recognized as a defender of our Second Amendment rights and the champion of concealed carry reciprocity, a bill he reintroduced last month.
In addition, he continues to work to tackle the root causes of violence. Last year, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed into law the Student, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018 as part of the omnibus bill. This law will make our schools safer by providing resources to train students, teachers, and local law enforcement so they can help stop school violence before it happens. It also encourages state and local officials to share best practices for preventing school violence with federal law enforcement and their counterparts in other states. In addition, it provides funding for technology and equipment to improve school security and stop attacks. This funding may be used for metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other technologies to keep schools safe. Included in the omnibus was also policy to improve compliance with the federal background check system.
This action builds off of House Republicans’ ongoing efforts to address violence and improve mental health – particularly in our schools. In the 21st Century Cures Act which was signed into law in December 2016, Congress permanently authorized the VALOR initiative at the Department of Justice, which trains law enforcement on appropriate actions to take in an active shooter scenario.
The law also improved the National Violent Death Reporting System at the CDC to help track violent deaths and illuminate ways they can be prevented. Other aspects were aimed at preventing an individual from reaching a point of crisis including:
- Allowing more compassionate communication under HIPAA so family members can help individuals going through severe mental illness and facilitate treatment;
- Providing increased grant funding for training so teachers, EMS and other professionals can appropriately intervene before someone with mental illness experiences a crisis; and
- Reauthorizing programs that focus on helping treat children early on with severe emotional disturbances.
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Issues:Second Amendment