By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Published reports indicate North Carolina could become the 30th state to adopt legislation eliminating the need for a state-issued permit in order to legally carry a concealed firearm, and one state senator who opposed the idea two years ago is now a bill sponsor, according to WCNC News.
Predictably, anti-gunners oppose the idea. Jessica Burroughs with MomsRising reportedly told the news agency, “Repealing that law would send us backward, so we want to make sure that that law stays in place. Lawmakers want to remove another barrier ensuring responsible gun ownership, including for people as young as 18, is unacceptable, and moms think that that’s outrageous.”
Democrat lawmakers are not too keen about the legislation, either, according to the Daily Tarheel. The newspaper quoted state Sen. Graig Meyer (D-23rd District) arguing, “I plan to vote against it, and I want to live in a society where people are less likely to shoot each other than they are today.”
House Bill 5 and its companion piece, Senate Bill 50, both appear to have strong support this time around. The House version is among a handful of bills relating to guns now before the legislature. Perhaps the most questionable is House Bill 28, dubbed the “Gun Violence Prevention Act.” Under this bill, it would be a crime for a felon to have a firearm during the commission of a felony crime, which is already illegal. Recidivist criminals ignore such laws.
Permitless carry—also known as “Constitutional Carry” by its advocates—harkens back to the time of the Founding when there were no permits required to own or carry firearms. Currently, 29 states allow for citizens to carry firearms for personal protection without a permit or license. All are led by Republican majorities, while 21 states still controlled by Democrats continue requiring permits to carry.
