As state legislatures across the nation open their 2001 sessions, the Citizen’s Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) has issued its annual “Self-Defense Report Card,” which finds some improvements, and a couple of disappointing declines.

“While we’re encouraged by the improvements in some states, law-abiding citizens lost some ground in a couple of other states where their right to self-defense has taken a back seat to politics and political correctness,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “The right of self-defense is a fundamental one, and the public has gained some ground in four key states during the past 12 months.”

Gottlieb noted that 32 states now have “shall issue” concealed carry laws, with Michigan joining the lineup thanks to Gov. John Engler’s signature on their new law Jan. 2. While this new legislation contains certain restrictions on concealed carry, it removes discretionary authority from county gun boards, putting all citizens of the state on equal ground.

In all, 44 states have state constitutional provisions that specifically recognize the individual citizen’s right to keep and bear arms. Yet, Gottlieb lamented, “Some states only give lip service to this fundamental issue when it comes to practical enforcement.”

Joe Waldron, CCRKBA executive director, added, “Firearms civil rights made some headway during 2000, especially in Texas, Utah and Montana, where efforts to recognize concealed carry licenses from other states have continued. Lawmakers have taken some reasonable steps, and are beginning to understand the common sense rationale of concealed carry.”

Research by Yale Law School Professor John Lott has shown that states which allow their citizens to carry concealed firearms for personal protection enjoy significantly lower violent crime rates than states with more restrictive laws. Despite ominous predictions to the contrary, these states have NOT reported massive outbreaks of gun violence at traffic mishaps, nor has there been an epidemic of tavern gunfights, or other “Wild West” misbehavior with firearms.

CCRKBA’s 2001 “Report Card” finds six specific states where the Concealed Carry grade point average has gone up or down. These include:

• Montana, which went from an “A-” to an “A” for its aggressive work to recognize out-of-state Concealed Pistol Licenses (CPLs), thus ensuring that visitors to the Big Sky Country enjoy the same right of self-defense they enjoy at home. Montana now recognizes licenses issued by 34 states.
  
  
• Texas, going from a “B” to a “B+” because of significant advances in implementing the reciprocity provisions of its concealed carry law. Citizens from several more states may now lawfully carry while visiting in the Lone Star State. Texas now recognizes CPLs issued by seven other states.
  
  
• Utah, which rose from a “B+” to an “A-”—thanks to its efforts to recognize CPLs issued by 16 other states.
  
  
• Michigan, going from a “D” to “C+”—thanks to passage of its CPL reform law in December. The new law does not take effect until July 1, and opponents are already laboring to repeal the law by public initiative.
  
  
• Alaska, dropping from an “A-” to a “B+” because Democrat Gov. Tony Knowles’ Administration has narrowly interpreted a very practical reciprocity law, passed two years ago over the governor’s veto. That law initially recognized about 16 out-of-state licenses, but the Knowles Administration has effectively gutted the intent of the Legislature with its restrictive interpretations. At this point, only one state’s license is honored.
  
  
• Massachusetts, falling from a “D” to a “D-”—thanks to a new licensing law that took effect in 2000. The new law added significantly to the difficulty and expense in allowing its citizens the choice of armed self-defense. Licenses must now be renewed annually and the fees have increased.

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