WASHINGTON — A local leader says gun owners should no longer have to pay for concealed handgun permits.
“I don’t see why citizens of Virginia need to pay to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” said Prince William County Board Chairman Corey Stewart, who wants to eliminate the county’s $50 concealed carry permit fee.
Stewart said he’s confident the plan will be approved.
“I’m hoping that after Prince William County eliminates its concealed carry permit fee that other localities in Virginia will follow, and that pretty soon the concealed carry permit fees will be eliminated statewide,” Stewart says.
In December, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring announced that starting Feb. 1, Virginia will no longer recognize concealed handgun permits from 25 states.
“I’m trying to push back on a local level against (Gov.) Terry McAuliffe and against the attorney general for this attack on Second Amendment rights,” Stewart said.
Stewart is also Donald Trump’s Virginia campaign chairman.
“Donald Trump is proposing national reciprocity for concealed carry, which would mean that if you receive your concealed carry permit in Virginia, you could exercise that right in any other state,” Stewart says.
He introduces his plan on Tuesday, with a vote set for Feb. 9.
