North Carolina Anti-Gun Legislation Update!

The North Carolina General Assembly adjourned last week, and the pro-gun community was successful in derailing an anti-gun measure that could have created long-term threats to our Right to Keep and Bear Arms. SB 892, introduced by Senator Tony Rand (D-19), was innocently promoted as a bill to study the "trafficking of illegal handguns," but appeared to be written by the anti-gun extremists at North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (NCGV) as a template to facilitate future attacks on gun shows, the lawful private transfer of firearms, the privacy of law-abiding gun owners, as well as "[a]ny other issues the Commission considers appropriate." The rather ominous "[a]ny other issues" is taken directly from SB 892, and could have opened up any firearm-related matter as being subject to study by the Commission.

While NRA had received assurances that this legislation would not be brought up in the Senate, Sen. Rand waited until the last minute to use a procedural maneuver to attach the language contained in SB 892 to an omnibus study bill (HB 413) that contained numerous other issues, which the Senate passed. Working with House Speaker James Black (D-100) and a bi-partisan coalition of pro-gun Representatives, NRA and the pro-gun community were able to keep HB 413 from being heard, while the House passed a separate study bill that did not contain the language from SB 892.

In addition to derailing this study bill, the General Assembly passed HB 1311, the "Domestic Violence Victims Empowerment Act." Introduced by pro-gun Representatives Mark Hilton (R-96) and Linda Johnson (R-83), this act allows victims of domestic violence to show proof of a protective order issued under chapter 50B of the general statutes as evidence that an emergency situation exists, so that they may acquire an expedited, temporary permit to carry a concealed handgun for personal protection. HB 1311 also requires domestic violence victims be notified that they may apply for these temporary permits when a protective order is issued. While this bill was not a primary objective for NRA this session, we did support its passage, and worked to ensure its intent remained intact.