Virginia to drop reciprocal concealed carry permits with 25 states

RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 23 (UPI) -- Virginia will stop honoring out-of-state concealed carry permits, a move to tighten gun-control laws without involving legislatures.

State Attorney General Mark R. Herring, a Democrat, announced the plan Tuesday. Virginia will no longer honor the permits from 25 states with which it has a reciprocity arrangement.

"While you are here (in Virginia), you are subject to the commonwealth's gun laws," he said. He added the 25 states have relatively lax gun laws, compared to those of Virginia.

The state's new policy, which goes into effect in February, is one which a number of state governors are adopting to address gun violence, without expecting Republican-controlled legislatures to change gun laws.

"This has been where the gun violence prevention movement is going," Chelsea Parsons of the liberal analysis group Center for American Progress told the Washington Post. "In much the same way President Obama said 'I'm not going to wait for Congress anymore,' the same can be said for leaders at the state level to really use their authority to take strong meaningful steps on this issue."

Although visitors to Virginia can still obtain non-resident permits to carry concealed handguns if they meet the state's standards, Herring's announcement brought angry reaction from some quarters.

"This decision is both dangerous and shameful," said Chris Cox of the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action. "At a time when people are scared and desperately need the ability to defend themselves, Herring has chosen the path of making self-defense harder."

Virginia's Republican Speaker of the House, William J. Howell, commented, "Despite promising to take politics out of the Attorney General's Office, Mark Herring consistently seeks to interpret and apply the law of the commonwealth through the lens of his own personal, political opinions. He is damaging the integrity of the office he holds."

The states with which Virginia will no longer honor a reciprocity agreement are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Agreements with West Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah will remain in place.