Weekly Spotlight 4/1/23 – 4/7/23
Big Win for Right to Self-Defense in the Tarheel State
Across the country, states are removing burdensome red tape that makes it more difficult for law-abiding Americans to exercise their right to protect themselves and their loved ones. North Carolina recently became one of the latest states to do just that.
Last week, Governor Roy Cooper vetoed a bill that would’ve stopped requiring North Carolinians to obtain a permit from their sheriff’s department before purchasing a handgun. Fortunately, lawmakers seized an opportunity this week to override the governor’s veto, successfully implementing the new law. North Carolina lawmakers used their first veto override since 2018 to pass pro-Second Amendment legislation!
Their decisive action makes it easier for responsible citizens to purchase a handgun by removing the unnecessary requirement of obtaining a sheriff’s express permission, bringing pistol purchases in North Carolina in line with rifle and shotgun purchases. All gun purchasers going through a licensed firearms dealer are still subject to federal background checks, despite what gun control activists might say.
The new law also permits guns in churches connected to private schools – an effective way to secure vulnerable public places from violent threats – and implements an educational “firearm safe storage initiative.”
At the USCCA-FSL, we believe that law-abiding Americans should not have to get the government’s permission to exercise one of their most fundamental rights. North Carolina’s permit requirement was antiquated and unnecessary, making citizens jump through too many hoops to purchase a handgun. The new law will open the door to more North Carolinians exercising their rights and protecting themselves, their family and their community.
It’s great to see so many states standing on the side of liberty and the right to self-defense.
Stay up to date with Second Amendment stories by visiting our Newsroom.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Legislation that would remove a fee associated with applying for a concealed carry license in Kansas could be approved soon. Members of the Kansas House of Representatives passed House Bill 2412 at a vote of 90-34 Wednesday morning. The bill now moves to the Senate for approval. If signed into law, this bill would amend the Personal and Family Protection Act to get rid of fees paid by those who have applied for a concealed carry license (CCL) or who are seeking renewal of the license. No fees would be required from applicants except to cover the cost of taking fingerprints, according to a supplemental note on HB 2412.
- The Daily American: More new gun owners are seeking permits in Somerset County. Here’s why.
Permits to carry a concealed gun in public are climbing in Somerset County, and many of those seeking gun permits have never done so before. “A lot of people are getting permits,” said Somerset County Sheriff Dustin Weir. “They are getting their guns.” In February, the sheriff’s department issued 337 licenses to carry. “We have 1,432 pending permits to pick up,” Weir said on the day of the interview by Daily American. “And we have more to come in to process,” he said. “In two years back, we probably average around 500 permits to pick up daily,” he said. Now that number has tripled and he is not sure why.
Investigators said a 23-year-old man was shot and killed Tuesday when he tried to rob a food truck in southwest Houston. According to the Houston Police Department, it happened in a parking lot off South Main Street just inside Beltway 8. HPD tweeted about the shooting just after 2 p.m. Keshondra Howard Turner’s family owns the truck, which has been operating in the parking lot off South Main at Fondren for about three years. Turner, 53, is the cook behind the counter of the soul food truck. She and her family started Elite Eats in 2020… Investigators also said that Turner is licensed to carry.CU Independent:ROTC students speak against resolution to ban concealed carry on campus A number of University of Colorado Boulder students spoke against a bid to ban concealed carry on campus at the student government legislative meeting on March 23. Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), Marine Corps Enlisted Commissioning Education Program (MECEP) and veteran students spoke at a public open hearing on Thursday night to urge CU Boulder Student Government (CUSG) and the Board of Regents to reconsider the call for a ban on concealed carry. CUSG passed a resolution asking the Board of Regents to reverse the policy back in October, most recently speaking at the regent’s meeting in February. “We are not the ones shooting our fellow law-abiding citizens. We have our concealed carry permits in order to ensure the safety of us and those around us,” said Connor Borshard, who enlisted in the Marine Corps in 2010 and is a junior in mechanical engineering.