NC Republicans face pressure to eliminate concealed carry permit requirement
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – As Republicans face pressure from some gun owners to pass a bill eliminating the requirement to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon, Democrats blasted the idea Thursday as they pushed for other changes to the state’s gun laws.
Grass Roots North Carolina delivered petitions to Republican Senate leader Phil Berger’s office on Wednesday as the legislature’s short session began.
The group urged him to support passing a bill that’s still pending in the House that would make it optional to obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. There would still be a requirement to complete an approved training and safety course.
“Republicans want the gun vote in November. We’re telling them they better remember to dance with the one that brung you,” said Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina. “We want to make sure that the Republicans in this state come up to the standards of Republicans in other states. Twenty-nine other states have passed some form of constitutional carry.”
Last year, the bill made it through two House committees and was on the calendar for a vote on the House floor. Sen. Berger told CBS 17 that day he questioned whether “the timing is right” to move forward with it given that the legislature had just repealed the pistol purchase permit requirement earlier in the session.
On Wednesday, Sen. Berger weighed in on the issue again.
“I do think constitutional carry is something that’s worth talking about. We’ll talk with our members and see whether or not there’s appetite to move forward with it,” he said. “I think the more important thing is, is that the right policy for us to adopt at this time as opposed to trying to map out what might happen as a result of the upcoming election.”
On Thursday, volunteers and organizers with Moms Demand Action came to the legislature, urging lawmakers not to go forward with the constitutional carry bill.
“There’s so many people that are able to get guns and people are just misusing them,” said Lavern Lucier, whose son Syncere Burrell was shot and killed in Durham in 2020.
Durham County Sheriff Clarence Birkhead has opposed the bill since it was introduced last year.
“We are experiencing an epidemic gun violence like we’ve never seen before,” he said.
Democrats said they’ll push again for a variety of bills they’ve backed for the last several sessions. One measure would establish a so-called red flag law, which would allow a judge to temporarily take guns from someone found to be a threat to themselves or others.
Twenty-one states have such a law in place, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) said she would file a discharge petition next week, which would require a majority of House members to sign in order to bring the bill to the floor, something she does not expect to happen.
Sen. Berger has resisted the idea of passing a red flag law in North Carolina, saying it could impact law-abiding citizens.
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