Mississippi: NRA-Backed Legislation Moves Forward in the Magnolia State

This week, the state Senate passed NRA-backed House Bills 455 and 695, sending both to Governor Phil Bryant for his approval.  Additionally, two more NRA-supported bills remain on the Senate Calendar and must be considered by the Senate before its floor action deadline next Wednesday, April 11.

The state Senate passed House Bill 695, introduced by state Representative John Moore (R-60), on Wednesday April 4. This NRA-backed legislation would require Mississippi to honor any valid concealed carry permit issued by another state.  This bill also grants the Department of Public Safety continued authority to enter into written reciprocity agreements with other states if those states require such action be taken before recognizing Mississippi carry permits.  These changes will eliminate bureaucratic hurdles and facilitate recognition between as many states as possible, benefitting permit holders both inside and outside Mississippi.  Special thanks to Representative Moore for sponsoring HB 695, state Senator Chris McDaniel (R-42) for sponsoring a similar Senate bill, and House Judiciary B Committee Chairman Andy Gipson (R-77), Senate Judiciary A Committee Chairman Briggs Hopson (R-23) and state Senator Sean Tindell (R-49) for shepherding the bill through the process in the House and Senate. 

Yesterday, the Senate passed House Bill 455, which was introduced by state Representative Gipson, this legislation, if signed, would eliminate an unnecessary and overly-broad state recordkeeping requirement for licensed firearm dealers.  Federal law requires licensed dealers to keep detailed records of sale and limits the release of this information to bona fide criminal investigations. Similar state requirements - which allow the general public to view records on law-abiding gun purchasers - are redundant, costly and unnecessary.  A special thanks goes to Representative Gipson for sponsoring H 455, Senator Tindell for authoring the Senate version of this bill, and Senate Judiciary B Committee Chairman Hob Bryan (D-7) for steering this bill through his committee and managing it on the Senate floor. 

Two NRA-supported bills remain on the Senate Calendar to be considered prior to the floor action deadline next Wednesday, April 11.  House Bill 353 would make it a crime to deceive a federal firearms licensed dealers when attempting to purchase a firearm and House Concurrent Resolution 30 is a right to hunt and fish constitutional amendment that would appear on the November 2014 ballot. 

Please contact your state Senators and urge them to support HB 353 and HCR 30 - and to specifically oppose any Senate floor amendment to HCR 30.  Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.