On Tuesday, June 2, the Senate Judiciary II Committee amended House Bill 473, then reported it out. The amendment added an additional training requirement for magistrates with a valid Right-to-Carry permit before they will be allowed to carry a concealed firearm into a courthouse, provided they are there on official business. The additional training must be “substantially similar to that provided to certified law enforcement officers in
House Bill 1132, which was also scheduled for the Senate Judiciary II Committee, was heard on Thursday, June 4, where it received a favorable report. This bill states that if a Right-to-Carry permit holder applies for a renewal of his or her permit within 30 days of the expiration of the permit, the permit will be valid until the renewal is officially approved or denied. The next step should be the Senate floor, but we will also keep you updated on this bill.
Unfortunately, Senate Bill 928, the Castle Doctrine Bill, appears to be bogged down. This bill was referred to three separate committees, the first being the House Judiciary I Committee. That committee is Chaired by anti-gun State Representative Deborah Ross (D-38), and she appears to be unwilling to set a date for a hearing. Please contact Representative Ross and urge her to allow this critical legislation—which received overwhelming, bi-partisan support in the Senate—to be heard. Please call Representative Ross at 919-733-5773 or e-mail her at [email protected]. Also, please call or email your State Representative and ask them to urge House leadership to bring SB 928 up for consideration. You can call your Representative at 919-733-7928. To find your Representative, please click here.