North Carolina: House Votes to Remove Important Pro-Gun Provision

On Tuesday, June 16, the North Carolina House of Representatives gave in to pressure from the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association (NCSA) and passed an amendment to House Bill 562, offered by state Representative Allen McNeill (R-78), on a vote of 78-37.  As previously reported, the misguided McNeill Amendment removed the requirement that the outdated Pistol Purchase Permit (PPP) system be replaced with the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).  Many legislators who claimed to support the Second Amendment, and had claimed on their NRA-PVF Candidate Questionnaire that they supported replacing the PPP with NICS, chose instead to side with the NCSA.  Instead of supporting the rights of law-abiding gun owners, they chose to prop up the outdated, inefficient PPP system that allows for the constitutionally protected Right to Keep and Bear Arms to be infringed upon by local elected officials.  Instead of supporting fiscal responsibility and transitioning to NICS (which is federally funded), lawmakers chose to maintain a system that likely costs the state millions of dollars every year.

After abandoning the Second Amendment by passing the McNeill Amendment, the House voted 78-37 to give H 562 Second Reading.  Third Reading is expected to occur on Wednesday.  While H 562 remains a pro-gun bill that contains many improvements to existing statute, replacing the PPP system with NICS remains a top priority for NRA.

Your NRA will continue to work with legislators and educate them on why it is more important to support the Second Amendment, rather than support local elected officials that want to maintain the ability to deny permits to individuals who are not prohibited from purchasing or possessing handguns by law.  We will work with the North Carolina Senate to return the language that replaces the PPP system with NICS.  

Please contact your state Representative and voice your appreciation for their vote AGAINST the McNeill Amendment, or voice your disappointment if they voted FOR the McNeill Amendment, a provision that fails to support the Second Amendment rights of North Carolinians.