North Carolina House Passes Bill to Eliminate Pistol Permit Requirements
Jose Nino
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On February 22, 2023, the North Carolina State House voted to scrap handgun requirements.
This bill was approved on a party line vote of 67-48, with only 4 Republicans and one 1 Democrat abstaining from the vote. Currently, the GOP enjoys a 71-49 majority in the chamber, which is one vote short of a veto-proof supermajority per a report by ABC 11.
Under this legislation, county sheriffs are no longer mandated to carry out arbitrary evaluations and background checks of pistol permit applicants.
“It ensures Second Amendment rights are not infringed by a subjective process and prevent undue delays for lawful purchases of firearms,” stated State House Representative Allen Chesser, one of the bill’s key sponsors.
Republican State Representative Keith Kidwell replied that “criminals don’t get background checks before they buy a gun.”
North Carolina is currently ranked in 28th place for “Best States for Gun Owners” so it still has lots of work to do on the Second Amendment front. The passage of this bill to scrap the state’s handgun permit requirement would be a positive step in improving the state’s pro-gun profile. However, for this bill to pass, North Carolina needs a solid pro-gun governor.
Current Governor Roy Cooper is simply hostile to the Second Amendment and will veto the legislation in question. In light of this harsh reality, gun owners in North Carolina will need to create a pro-gun trifecta in their state government.
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