Pro-freedom lawmakers in North Carolina are making progress in their bid to make the Tar Heel State the 30th in the nation to embrace constitutional, or “permitless,” carry.
Measures currently on the move in both the state House and state Senate would do away with the requirement to jump through government hoops and pay a fee to practice the constitutionally protected right to keep in bear arms.
In the Senate, Senate Bill 50, titled “Freedom to Carry NC,” would authorize concealed carry without a permit requirement for gun owners who are U.S. citizens, at least 18 years of age and not otherwise prohibited by law. After the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure on March 18, the next day the measure was passed by the Senate Rules Committee.
One main sponsor of the bill, Sen. Danny Britt, said passing the measure is a no-brainer.
“We believe that our constitution is clear that law-abiding citizens should be allowed to constitutionally carry,” Sen. Britt said. “We believe they should be able to constitutionally carry without having to jump through the hoops that you do for a concealed carry permit.”
Interestingly, the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) has some reservations about the measure as it currently stands.
“The NRA strongly supports constitutional/permitless carry, however SB 50 still has some pitfalls that could entrap well-intentioned gun owners,” NRA-ILA wrote in a legislative alert. “SB 50 as written creates scenarios in which a person could lawfully purchase and possess a firearm but would be prohibited from carrying that firearm for self-defense purposes.”
The NRA also said it was working with lawmakers to try to improve the measure and make it better for North Carolina gun owners.
Meanwhile, over in the House, House Bill 5, the “NC Constitutional Carry Act,” was approved in the House Judiciary Committee on March 18. The measure is very similar to the Senate version of the bill, and according to sponsor Rep. Keith Kidwell, the law needs to be changed.
“We’re trying to allow people to exercise their rights, to defend themselves, to defend their families in all situations, Kidwell said.
As expected, anti-gun naysayers are voicing strong opposition to the proposals.
“You’re going to kill police officers with this bill,” Democrat Sen. Mujtaba Mohammed said during the debate on the measure.
Of course, there’s absolutely no proof anywhere that any of the other 29 states that have embraced constitutional carry have seen any rise in violence because of it. But that will never stop those against concealed carry from using the “blood running in the streets” nonargument to try and derail such proposals.
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