Gun rights bill passes with strong Democratic support

27 Democrats in the U.S. Senate including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and 105 Democrats in the U.S. House have affirmed their support for gun rights.

CNN Reports:

Gun rights advocates found an unlikely ally in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives on Wednesday as lawmakers passed a measure allowing concealed, loaded firearms to be carried in national parks.

The House approved a measure Wednesday to allow concealed firearms in national parks.

The proposal passed 279-147, winning overwhelming Republican support and that of a significant number of more conservative rural and western Democrats.

The Senate voted 67-29 on Tuesday to attach an identical measure to a bill cracking down on credit card fees. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, was among 27 Democrats backing the measure.

Under the measure, any person with a state permit to carry a concealed weapon would be able to bring that weapon into parks and wildlife refuges unless a state law specifies otherwise.

The firearms language is now expected to be included in the final version of the credit card legislation, which lawmakers want to deliver to President Obama's desk by Memorial Day.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/05/20/house.guns/

Blue Steel Democrats, the blog of the Oregon Democratic Party's Gun Owners Caucus, makes a good case for the legislation:

Crime against park rangers and visitors has seen an increase in recent years and this prudent, bipartisan legislation should ensure that criminals won't find National Parks easy hunting grounds for defenseless victims. (See previous post for more information: "Guns in National Parks: Yes, No, or Sometime?")
http://bluesteeldemocrats.blogspot.com/2009/04/guns-in-national-parks-yes-no-or.html