Gun bill fails

South Dakota Sen. John Thune’s attempt to expand the boundaries of concealed carry gun laws has failed.

Thune attached an amendment to a defense appropriations bill that would allow people in states that have concealed carry laws — like Minnesota — to continue to carry in other states whose residents don’t enjoy the same privilege.

A majority of the Senate voted for the measure, but it fell two votes short of the 60 needed.

The vote also showed the deep divisions within the Democratic Party on the issue, the Washington Post notes:

Democrats, who have traditionally championed gun control as a way to reduce crime, are suffering from their own political success of the past two elections. Schumer served as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for the 2006 and 2008 election cycles, specifically recruiting supporters of the Second Amendment to run in states where gun ownership is common. Going from 45 seats in the fall of 2006 to 60 seats this summer, Democrats now have about 25 senators who are strong supporters of gun rights.

Minnesota’s senators — Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken — voted against the amendment. Wisconsin’s Russ Feingold and North Dakota’s Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad were among the Democrats who voted for it. (See roll call vote here)