The Thune Amendment, which called for concealed carry permits to transfer from state to state, falls short of victory in the U.S. Senate by just two votes.
Senator Sherrod Brown says, "I think these have been laws determined by the states. They should stay that way. The federal government shouldn't come in and say we know what's best."
Brown, as well as Senator George Voinovich and Senator Arlen Specter of PA, all said no to the measure keeping it from the necessary 60 votes.
Rick Kaleda with the Buckeye Firearms Association says this proves once again how out of touch Washington is with its constituents. "As American citizens we have the right to protect ourself, whether we're in our state, whether we're in our country. Those boundaries shouldn't be restricting us."
But hundreds of mayors across the country applaud the outcome. Youngstown's Mayor Jay Williams says, "We have been working diligently to reduce crime in the city of Youngstown. We've had some success but that success is always in jeopardy."
Ohio currently has a reciprocity agreement with 18 other states, meaning if you're legal in Ohio, you're legal in those states as well. Some of our closest neighbors in Pennsylvania don't fall under that agreement, so if they cross the border and are caught with a firearm, they face penalties.
But Kaleda says most people who carry the permit follow and know the law. It's the criminals that don't. Kaleda says, "So laws aren't gonna restrict how they behave. All we're asking is that they relieve the restriction on how the law abiding citizen has to behave."
