Today, June 7th, the Omnibus Gun Bill will be voted on the NC House floor! If you support it, let your representatives know! Known as HB 764. (Once this passes, on to the Senate and the Governor.)
The update is the bill did not pass the House because we have some RINO Republicans who voted against it who buy into the progressive narrative that constitutional carry for non-prohibited and law abiding persons will somehow put the little children in danger.
NC Constitutional Carry would allow you to carry concealed only in NC. The NC CHL allows you to carry in NC and any state that has reciprocity with NC. Months back there was a guy visiting a local gunshop while I was there here in NC, bragging about how SC now had Constitutional Carry. I asked him if he had a SC concealed carry license, he said no. I asked him if he was currently carrying concealed, and he said yes. I told him he was illegal here - go home. Is it just a matter of the lack of any Government intrusion, a prior arrest/police record, or just being a cheap a$$ that makes Constitutional Carry an important issue to some people? From start to finish I received my NC CHL in 53 days. And for the initial fee and the small renewal fee every 5 years I'll take my NC CHL over Constitutional Carry any day of the week. At least I had some instruction and became aware of NC firearms laws in regards to the use of deadly force, and actually fired live in front of a qualified instuctor before being granted my right to carry, instead of just being let loose on the streets with a gun stuck in my shorts. A friend who's a CHL instructor here has over the years had to fail numerous individuals for their inability to safely handle and use handguns, and he's got the patience of a clam. There are plenty of people out there who shouldn't be armed, and I'm not going to deny that fact just so I can hold onto my right to own and carry a firearm.
Cool story Drew - the guy from SC is an idiot (rule #1 don't ever tell people or brag that you are carrying if its not open and rule #2 don't be an idiot and not know where you can't carry, legally) and your 2 points in bold really help the anti-gun argument. Prior arrest/police records would likely preclude one from a CHL and thus being a "prohibited person", and a bunch of willy nilly cowboys with guns in their shorts is exactly the type of picture the anti's like to paint. Constitutional Carry is to states like ours what Open Carry is to the states where printing or open carry is outlawed - its nice to have options. As you know, many states have reciprocity agreements needing an out of state valid CCW to carry there - this is not circumventing current NC process, as I would want a permit so that I could take my firearm and carry legally out of state. However, as a law abiding citizen of North Carolina it would be nice to have the options that Vermont, Maine, SC, etc have. There are always going to be idiots whether we have Constitutional Carry or not, and lets be honest many permit holders shoot well enough to "pass the class" (its not exactly hard and many instructors will give you retries until you get it right, you did pay for the class after all) and get their CHL and strap on a handgun or toss a revolver in their purse and go about their business and aren't exactly marksmen/women and don't have much if any stressful/active shooter/drawing training under their belt. Let's trust our lawful 2A citizens to educate themselves, know their laws, not be a prohibited person, and train to use a firearm, without a government stamp of approval if they so wish (the true meaning of the 2nd Amendment), and keep the current system in place for those who wish to still obtain a CHL in order to take their firearm traveling out of state with them. There will always be idiots falling through the cracks, with, and without, Constitutional Carry. My .02 - take it for what its worth.
I haven't seen anything related to a vote. But there were some news articles recently about sherrif's saying not to pass it. So I wonder if a vote is coming soon.
