As for reasons why this bill was a good idea, how about knowing the laws of the state you actually live in; not one located 1,000 miles away from you?
As an example: in Utah, signs carry no force of law. In my state ALL signs carry the force of law, carry a criminal charge, and possible permanent revocation of your carry permit. Might be something you want to know? Remind me what they go over in CCW classes again; would state laws regarding firearms be one of the topics? In Utah, you can carry in schools; in my state, it's a felony. I also recall that in Texas, people who were NOT eligible for a carry permit there were circumventing CCW law by getting a Utah permit. I really love the idea of those guys carrying.
Shall I go on?
You could start with a reason that made sense in the first place.
Stay with me here. We'll go through this nice and slow...
In many states, a nonresident permit (in some cases
any permit) from another state is not recognized. Furthermore, in certain other states (which unsurprisingly also fall into the first category) folks have a very hard time getting a permit at all.
See, for example, myself. While I am able to establish residency at will in either Virginia or California, as a practical matter I must go with the state from which I have my driver's license, which is necessarily California while I am in school. As, therefore, a "San Francisco resident" in the context of applying for a concealed weapons permit in either state, I am unable to
get such a permit, since the City (illegally) won't issue them.
(Not to mention that I'm already quite a bit more knowledgeable in California (and Virginia) law than any C2I
p) class might hope to render its students.)
Now, what the hell does Utah accomplish by making me get a permit
here first? Do you think I'm unqualified due to my place of residence?
And what is the point of making sure I "know the laws of my own state" for a permit which isn't even valid in my own state? Perhaps Utah should also start requiring training in Pakistani carry laws (only for out of state carriers, of course), since we're so concerned with places totally unrelated to where the permit will be used?
Do go on, Ryan. Do go on.