Bill would sanction gun permits from some other states
Weapons rules would have to mirror Nevada

By JOE MULLIN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARSON CITY -- Gun owners with concealed-weapon
permits from one of more than a dozen other
states could carry their weapons in Nevada
without getting a permit under a proposal debated Wednesday by lawmakers.

Nevada law doesn't recognize out-of-state
permits. That would change under Senate Bill 237,
by Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, which would
make Nevada recognize certain state permits.

Under Lee's proposal, only states with rules
similar to or stricter than Nevada's would be
recognized. The attorney general's office would
determine which states make the list. Lee said 14
other state permits would be valid if the bill
passes with amendments proposed by police.

Lee told the Senate Judiciary Committee the
change would make life easier for gun enthusiasts
who travel to Nevada for sporting events, and
also would help Nevada permit-holders who would
have their permits recognized in states with reciprocal agreements.

There are about 26,000 permittees in Nevada,
15,000 of them in the Las Vegas area, Lee
estimated, adding that most of those permittees
don't carry weapons all the time.

"These people who get these (concealed weapon)
permits are just good people like you, people who
just feel they want a little added protection in their lives," he said.

Law enforcement officials, who have opposed such
agreements, said better technology has assured
them that it would be safe to recognize some
other states' permits. No one opposed the bill.

Frank Adams, representing the Nevada Sheriffs and
Chiefs Association, supported the bill but asked
for several amendments. One would only include
states that have an online database with the
names of permit-holders, accessible to police 24
hours a day. Adams also wants Nevada sheriffs to
have some say on which states get on the list. He
figures the total eventually will be 15.

"We've always opposed this in the past because
there was no mechanism to make sure (other
states) met or exceeded our requirements," said Adams. "This bill does that."

Adams also asked lawmakers to eliminate part of
the bill that would eliminate the requirement for
photos on concealed weapon permits.

Lee said he had no problem deleting that
provision, which he said was in the bill because
producing photo cards could be onerous for smaller counties.