North Carolina’s Republican lawmakers continue to move dangerous legislation that would allow for the concealed carry of a gun without a permit, a move that a majority of the state’s residents don’t agree with.
Republicans in the state Senate have unanimously passed SB 50, “Freedom to Carry NC.” The bill would loosen restrictions on concealed carry laws by allowing any American citizen in the state who is 18 years and older to purchase a gun and conceal it without having to apply for a permit. Every Republican voted in favor of the bill, and all Democrats voted against it.
Senate Democrats attempted to add amendments to the bill to make it safer. Proposed amendments include: limiting areas where a concealed weapon could be carried; requiring a violent offender background check; and raising the age mentioned in the bill from 18 to 21, the legal drinking age. Of the 13 amendments put forward by Democrats, only two, both introduced by Sen. Mohammed, passed a vote: one which increases payment for line of duty deaths and the second establishes a scholarship for children of permanently disabled or slain NC law enforcement officers.
For the other 11 amendments, three failed, one was ruled out of order, and the rest were tabled by Republicans, which prevented them from being voted on.
SB 50 is now in the House, where it has not yet been heard by a committee. However, the House has its own version of the bill: HB 5, “NC Constitutional Carry Act”. The bill is similar to SB 50 in which allows anyone 18 and older to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. This bill passed the House Judiciary 2 Committee and was sent to the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee, where it has not yet been heard.
Polling conducted late last year by Everytown for Gun Safety found that permitless concealed carry is unpopular among NC residents, including gun owners.
A poll conducted by Elon University shows that, of the 800 residents surveyed, the majority (54%) of residents don’t support Republicans’ attempt to remove the permit requirement for concealed carry.
Despite public opposition, Republicans are standing behind the bills, a move that Representative Phil Rubin (D-Wake) says spells trouble for democracy in the state.
“In a functioning democracy where elected representatives feel accountable to the people they represent, a bill this unpopular and this dangerous would never pass. It would never even come to a vote,” he said while attending a press event with other democrats, gun safety activists and religious leaders who oppose the bills. “That is why I’m so sad to see common sense gun regulation measures that can’t get a vote, and dangerous measures like permitless concealed carry that repeatedly can.”
Rubin noted that, due to how heavily gerrymandered North Carolina is, Republicans received 48% of the vote statewide but hold 59% of the seats in the legislature. Despite the majority of residents disagreeing with removing the permit for concealed carry, the Republican majority in the legislature is prioritizing their own goals over the needs of the people, not just by passing the legislation but also by denying the safety measures democrats put forward.
Not only do most North Carolinians oppose permitless concealed carry, but their support lies in gun safety measures. According to the Everytown for Gun Safety poll, nine in ten North Carolinians support requiring background checks on all gun sales (90% support/10% oppose), including 97% of self-identified Democrats, 85% of self-identified independents, 84% of self-identified Republicans, and 85% of gun owners statewide.
The survey also found broad support for other gun safety policies, including prohibiting domestic abusers from owning a gun (88% support/11% oppose) and requiring gun owners to store firearms securely (88% support/12% oppose).
Representative Garland Pierce (D-Hoke), among many other Democrats, has called for more safety measures.
“I am not in favor of taking away guns. I am in favor of applying the same rules to guns that we apply to every other industry where danger is involved. I do not understand why we would not require basic, common-sense safety precautions around purchasing firearms, especially in this time of uncertainty and conflict in our world,” she said.
“We can take the small step of creating common-sense safety procedures. I do not believe that House Bill 5 does this.”
