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.• U.S. Senator John Thune (R-S.D) introduces S. 388-the Senate version of H.R. 226, a national Right-to-Carry reciprocity bill that would provide national reciprocity for state carry licensees by allowing any person with a valid carry permit or license issued by a state to carry a concealed firearm in any other state if they meet certain criteria. The bill would not create a federal licensing system; it would simply require the states to recognize each other's carry permits, just as they recognize drivers' licenses.
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.