In a victory for Second Amendment advocates, a bill to repeal North Carolina’s handgun permit requirement cleared the state House and is headed to the governor’s desk by a nearly veto-proof margin.
The House passed the measure with a whopping 70-44 majority. It would halt the state requirement that prospective handgun purchasers first acquire a permit from the local sheriff’s department.
However, there has been a profound shift in the state legislature, with many pro-gun advocates elected and throwing their support behind the measure.
The swing towards Second Amendment rights in the state is so dramatic that House Minority Leader Robert Reives asked that there at least “be recognition that there are other people in the room.”
Apparently, supporters of constitutional rights are drowning out those who would be a roadblock to citizens keeping and bearing arms.
The current law gives local sheriffs broad latitude in choosing who may arm themselves. Law enforcement may presently deny the permit even if they only suspect the individual has been party to a crime but there’s been no conviction.
Historians note that the restrictions are a relic of the Jim Crow era when racist sheriffs worked to stop Black citizens from being armed.
Supporters of the current standards argue that local law enforcement has a better knowledge of the area population than a federal background check. In this way, they are able to weed out those who may be unfit to possess a firearm.
Durham Rep. Marcia Morey claimed she and her colleagues are “not trying to challenge anyone’s Second Amendment rights. We support that. We want to keep people safe.”
Unfortunately for her position, there is nothing in the Constitution that delegates the duty to decide who can exercise their right to keep and bear arms to local sheriffs.
The bill to remove requiring the sheriff’s approval for handgun purchases is far from the only pro-Second Amendment proposal making its way through the North Carolina legislature.
The NC Constitutional Carry Act would eliminate the necessity for a person to acquire a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
As the bill reads, “any person who is a citizen of the United States and is at least 18 years old may carry a concealed handgun in this State unless provided otherwise by law.” The measure does not remove all restrictions on firearm ownership and carrying, and federal laws will still be enforced.
The bill still allows those who want to obtain a permit to get one. Many individuals choose to get the permit to be able to legally carry in other states that practice reciprocity for concealed weapons.
The current system requires the completion of an application, under oath, provided by the sheriff’s department. Prospective concealed carry permit holders must pay a non-refundable $80.00 fee, up to $10 for two full sets of fingerprints, present proof of completion of an approved handgun safety course, and legally allow the sheriff’s office access to records of the applicant’s mental health or capacity.
During a week when the White House made another attempt to stifle the rights of law-abiding citizens, it is refreshing to see a state shift towards more constitutional freedoms. As the majority in North Carolina recognizes, concealed weapons are the first and many times only line of defense for the people in the fight against violent criminal acts.
