Gabriella Hoffman: Warner's Inconsistency on National Concealed Carry Ignores the Facts

Media consultant and Virginia concealed handgun permit (CHP) holder Gabriella Hoffman has this Op/Ed in the Bristol Herald Courier calling out U.S. Senator Mark Warner for his flip-flop on National Carry Reciprocity.  Warner previously supported legislation allowing permit holders to carry nationwide.  He recently came out in opposition to the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.  Hoffman writes:

Warner’s opposition to the bill is particularly troubling because our state is one of only 19 states that currently recognizes the valid permits of every other state in the country. Oddly enough, Warner has no issue with gun owners from Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York exercising their right to self-defense when they come to Virginia. Yet he fails to apply this principle to his own law-abiding constituents desiring to exercise that same right in those states.

Warner even suggests expanding CHP rights would encourage more “gun violence.” How laughable.

Hoffman goes on to point out that CHP holders are some of the most law-abiding people in the country and cites Dr. John Lott's research showing CHP holders are more law-abiding than police officers:

By comparing crime reports and revocations of CHP permits in Florida and Texas, he found that permit holders are less likely to commit crimes than police officers. Lott found similar results across the country. Given this, Warner is either obfuscating the facts, or is eager to have billionaire gun control activist Michael Bloomberg continue to line his coffers with donor money.

She also points out what happened when Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring tried to end Virginia's reciprocity and recognition agreements with 25 states - a public outcry led to bipartisan support for legislation introduced to overturn that likely would have withstood a veto by Governor Terry McAuliffe.  This forced McAuliffe to throw his AG under the bus and reach a deal that not only restored the agreements with the 25 states, but actually expanded Virginia's reciprocity to include states not previously recognized.

Warner is used to flip flopping however when it comes to the issue of guns.  He originally opposed Virginia's CHP law but flipped when he ran for Governor.  He also signed more pro-rights legislation than any other Governor in recent memory.  But now that he is in the minority party in the U.S. Senate, he apparently believes he needs to toe the anti-rights line of the majority of his Senate Democrat colleagues.

Hat-tip to Cam Edwards of NRATV.com Cam and Company.