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The NC Legislature is fast-tracking a bill ditching the required permit for concealed guns.
The standard permit necessary to carry a concealed firearm in NC may not be required soon. The Freedom to Carry NC bill—which authorizes U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age to carry a handgun in NC without a permit—is moving through the legislature.
After being whisked from the first committee session to a vote in just over two days, the measure passed Thursday in the NC Senate with a 26–18 vote (with two Democrats and four Republicans absent).
Currently, NC gun owners are required to obtain a permit from their local sheriff’s office to tote a concealed handgun, plus complete at least eight hours of training beforehand. Permits will still be issued for the purpose of crossing state lines with a firearm. If passed, the Tar Heel state will become the 30th state to not require permits or training.
So what problem is this bill trying to solve? Gun rights lobbyists have been pushing for permitless carry—or what some advocates call “constitutional carry”—for years. One of the bill’s primary sponsors, Republican Sen. Danny Britt of Lumberton said people have a constitutional right to carry a concealed handgun “without having to jump through the hoops that you do for a concealed carry permit.”
Democrat Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed raised a red flag during the floor debate, noting that instead of improving the permitting process the bill takes “a chainsaw to the system, leaving officers and the public to deal with the consequences.” Mohammed also pointed out the increased risk for law enforcement officers if the bill becomes law.
Although Senate Democrats successfully added several amendments supporting benefits for slain law enforcement officers’ families, the blue party continued to reiterate their opposition to the bill’s main focus. Alongside these additions, the Senate also adopted three of Britt’s proposed amendments upping the penalty for violation of firearm-related laws.
Other amendments put on the table by the Democrats referred to as “common sense measures” failed. These included proposals for required gun detection systems in schools and hospitals, expanded gun-free zones, required universal background checks, and penalties for failing to keep guns out of children’s reach.
“Allowing anyone 18 or older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit makes everyone less safe,” House Democratic Leader Robert Reives wrote in a statement. “We need common sense reforms and this measure would only hurt communities.” Stay tuned for updates on how the bill fares in the House and under the Governor’s pen.
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