Global Courant 2023-05-03 01:49:39
North Carolina GOP lawmakers on Tuesday drafted advanced legislation to end the concealed handgun mandate that requires a local sheriff’s permit. The bill would also lower the age at which someone can carry a concealed firearm from the current 21 to 18. It’s nearly impossible for law enforcement officers to know if someone they approach has concealed carrier privileges
North Carolina Republican lawmakers on Tuesday developed legislation to remove the requirement that anyone wishing to carry a concealed handgun must obtain a permit from the local sheriff.
The effort comes barely a month after the Republican-controlled General Assembly agreed with gun rights groups and revoked another kind of permit issued by sheriffs before anyone could buy a gun.
Those groups are now lobbying to repeal the concealed handgun licensing mandate, which has been in effect in North Carolina for nearly 30 years. According to a proponent of the bill, several hundred thousand people have such permits. The bill would also lower the age at which someone can carry a concealed firearm from the current 21 to 18.
According to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association, there are already 27 states that allow people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, so “it’s not something new,” said GOP Representative Keith Kidwell of Beaufort County, a bill sponsor. The measure was approved by the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 7 to 4, despite opposition from the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, which believes vetting is necessary to help deputies know who may be armed.
The move comes two days before a parliamentary deadline for policy legislation to clear one legislative chamber so that it can be considered during the remainder of the two-year session. The measure still needs to be approved by one more committee before it reaches the House of Representatives.
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Gun control advocates at the rally rejected Kidwell’s arguments that states with so-called “constitutional carry” laws have not seen an increase in crime. They said statistics show that getting rid of the permits would lead to more gun homicides, violent crimes and gun thefts.
“This may be about the right to wear and the freedom to wear, but it’s not about public safety,” said Representative Marcia Morey, a Democrat from Durham County. “Public opinion demands that we do something to protect people from mass shootings, from gun violence. This bill is the opposite of what people are demanding.”
North Carolina Republican legislators are seeking to end the state’s concealed handgun mandate.
Currently, a sheriff must issue a five-year permit to an applicant who meets several qualifications. They must have qualified training, avoid felony convictions or other specific crimes, and have no mental or physical disability that prevents safe handling of a weapon. Sheriffs have 45 days after receiving an applicant’s mental health information to issue or deny a permit.
These and other qualifications would remain in the bill. But it is up to the gun holder to comply.
“This is a relatively modest bite of the apple because it essentially limits unlicensed concealed carry to the same class of people who can get a permit,” Paul Valone, president of the gun rights group Grassroots North Carolina, told the committee.
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The permitting process itself would not be removed from state law. It would remain in effect for people who still want a license as proof of eligibility for possession of a concealed weapon in another state. It can also help speed up the criminal background check process before purchasing a gun.
Marie Evitt, a lobbyist for the sheriffs’ association, told the committee that local sheriffs have professionals who work with them to determine whether an applicant complies with the licensing law.
With this legislation, “we expect citizens to figure that out for themselves,” Evitt said. “This bill would make it nearly impossible for law enforcement officers to know when they approach someone if they qualify as a concealed carry.” The association supported abolishing the gun-buying process earlier this year.
There are several places where concealed weapons would remain prohibited, such as government buildings and places where concealed weapons prohibition signs have been posted. The bill would remove the ban on carrying a concealed weapon in establishments serving alcohol as long as the gun owner is not drinking.
The bill would also allow any elected official — including a legislator — to carry a concealed handgun when performing official duties. But they still need to get a permit from the local sheriff. Kidwell said lawmakers have received death threats over the past two years.
