Permitless carry is the law, to some degree or another, in 29 states. In the South, only Virginia and North Carolina still require permits. Virginia is a state that swings harder than a screen door in a tornado, but North Carolina tends to be a little better than that.
But now, lawmakers are trying to fix that, even if the governor doesn't like it.
Earlier this year, they passed permitless carry. The state's Democratic governor, unsurprisingly, vetoed it. Now, they're using their power to balance the authority of the executive branch to overturn that.
Gun safety advocates gathered last week to highlight the threat of constitutional carry ahead of a potential veto override of Senate Bill 50 from the state legislature, a bill allowing concealed carry without permits.
Senate Bill 50 would allow North Carolinians above the age of 18 to carry concealed, loaded handguns without a permit, a change from the current system that requires background checks, safety training, and live-fire training.
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the measure on June 20. But when the Senate returned to Raleigh in July, lawmakers overrode Stein’s veto.
In order to override a veto, three-fifths of each chamber must approve.
Now, it’s all up to the House, where Republicans are one vote short of a supermajority. With legislators coming back to town on Tuesday, SB 50 remains on the calendar and it’s possible the lower chamber will take up the bill if Republicans think the votes are there to override Stein’s veto.
...On Friday, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence and concerned community members spoke at Strategic Tactics Of Protection LLC (STOP) against the bill.
“More people will die in NC if the House overrides Gov. Stein’s veto. The Senate already has,” Becky Ceartas, executive director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, said. “We cannot let this happen. Too much is at stake. Lives are on the line.”
It's funny how often they say this, all while ignoring how it never happens.
They said this after the Supreme Court's decision in NYSRPA v. Bruen, where "may issue" permitting schemes that required "good cause" for someone to get a permit were killed. Instead, the homicide rate declined. They said that if we didn't reauthorize the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban before it sunset, people would die. The homicide rate that started dropping before the law passed continued to drop.
Every time, they scream about how this will lead to people dying, but it doesn't.
That's because the violent criminals who represent the real problem in North Carolina and elsewhere are already carrying guns without any permits.
Now, realistically, this has a chance of happening, but it won't be easy.
Two Republicans sided with anti-gunners to oppose permitless carry in the state. For an override to happen, they'd need both of them to come back into the fold, plus at least one Democrat to cross the line. That would mean one Democrat going against a governor from his party, which isn't likely, but not impossible. Holding onto a job is more important to most lawmakers than party loyalty, so if you get the stars to align right, you might actually see it happen.
It's an uphill fight, so if you're in North Carolina, reach out to your lawmakers to make it happen.
