House OKs Handguns in National Parks

With the help of moderate Democrats, the House of Representatives signed off on a Republican amendment Wednesday that legalizes loaded handguns in national parks and wildlife refuges. The measure passed 279-147 in a victory for gun advocates, including the NRA.

The Washington Post:

The legislation was the latest defeat for gun-control advocates, who had expected more success with a Democratic president and Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress.

[Wednesday’s] provision, originally sponsored by Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), would allow gun owners to bring the weapons into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are permitted by the laws of the state in which the park is located. The bill codifies a change the Bush administration had sought in its final months, but a federal judge blocked the effort in March.

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