Jason Rapert and Co. may have to rethink trips to Virginia, which can sometimes be hard to avoid on trips to the nation’s capital.
Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) announced Tuesday that Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry handgun permits from 25 states that have reciprocity agreements with the commonwealth.
Arkansas is one of those states. They are viewed as having laws too weak for Virginia by Herring. Without this change, he said, Virginians could go to those 25 states and get a concealed carry permit despite, for example, a history of stalking, drug dealing or inpatient mental-health treatment.
Being 10th Amendment federalists and all, Rapert, Nate Bell and the assorted other Arkansas legislative gunners presumably won’t object to this assertion of commonwealth sovereignty.
Herring is catching fire from the NRA and its adherents. The new rule is to take effect Feb. 1.
Herring notes that non-residents may apply for a non-resident permit in Virginia and obtain one if qualified.