Actually DL and registration recognition came much earlier than the threats of losses of funding, although some registration problems still exist for commercial vehicles. Drivers in the 50s could drive in almost every state could drive in almost any other state, but they frequently could not just get a license from one state based on having one from another.Liko81 wrote:Well, yes, they recognize drivers' licenses, but that's because the tests and other compliance measures for drivers' licenses have to meet a federal standard or the state loses highway funds. The requirements for a CHL are varied (some require qualification while others don't for example), and a few states are no-issue. Try telling the State of Illinois they have to recognize a Texas CHL, and try telling Chicagoans that they can't own handguns in their own town, but a stranger from out of town can walk around with a gun in his waistband.
Which is of course the point. Force states to recognize CHLs and they will come to some kind of de facto agreement on what minimum qualifications are required, and then every state starts issuing CHLs on a "shall-issue" basis. This is a good thing; I just think a lot of powerful left-leaning political figures are going to lean on Congress to table that one so they aren't forced to deal with guns.
Where's the Texas legislation? Maybe it was passed in 2006, but Texas made some serious strides this year in gun owner's rights with the expanded Castle Doctrine and Traveler's Assumption statutes, taking effect Sept 1st.
TX is a pretty good example, when DLs were first issued in TX there was no test, you just got issued a license to drive after you paid a fee. People who obtained a license in the early days found themselves having to take a written and road test, after years of driving, when they moved to another state, but they still got to drive there when they were visiting. Even after the feds started their extortion, there were states that didn't play along immediately, and those same threats were not very effective in keeping various states from raising their speed limits above 55.