The public comment period on proposed changes to North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission regulations are due by 11:59pm on January 30th. The regulations include the 2024-2025 inland fishing, hunting, trapping, and game land regulations and other regulated activities (camping on gamelands, etc.).
They can be submitted online here using the online form or by email. If by email, please include your name, county, and state of residence. The email address is regulations@ncwildlife.org.
I have embedded a PDF of all the proposed regulation changes below.
Grass Roots North Carolina recently sent out an alert on an issue that has come with renewals on North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permits. It seems some mental health organizations are trying to bill the permit holder for the mental health records check. This violates state law.
It has come to our attention that some Mental Health Companies have been billing individuals that are renewing permit a fee for doing a records check.
Don’t fall for it.
Submitting the bill is a violation of NC law.
In the 2015 Legislative Session GRNC was instrumental in changing the NC CHP statute pertaining to the renewal of Conceal Handgun Permits. It reads as follows:
NCGS § 14-415.15 “The sheriff shall make the request for any records concerning the mental health or capacity of the applicant within 10 days of receipt of the items listed in G.S. 14-415.13. No person, company, mental health provider, or governmental entity may charge additional fees to the applicant (emphasis mine) for background checks conducted under this subsection.”
Send the invoice back and tell them to submit it to your sheriff’s office.
So if you are renewing your permit, be aware and don’t be conned into paying for the records check when state law forbids it.
I originally posted this on July 4th of 2010. I am reposting it as I have every year since to recognize these early North Carolina patriots from Mecklenburg County. Despite all the changes in the Queen City since then, there are still many there or from there who continue the fight for liberty and especially our Second Amendment rights.
Before there was a Declaration of Independence of 1776, there were the Mecklenburg Declaration of May 20, 1775 and the Mecklenburg Resolves of May 31, 1775. Whilethere is significant controversy over the authenticity of the former, there is none regarding the latter. There is controversy about the Mecklenburg Declaration because the original copy is reputed to have been destroyed in a fire and mention of it then only comes to light in 1819. Nonetheless, May 20, 1775 is the date enshrined on both the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina and the State Flag. Even the state flag used during the Confederacy had those dates on it.
Both the Declaration and the Resolves were adopted in Charlotte Town in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Charlotte Town is now known as Charlotte. The area had been settled by the heavily Presbyterian immigrants from Northern Ireland and Scotland known as the Scotch-Irish. Upon hearing of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, they had been outraged and the Declaration was the result.
The Mecklenburg Declaration
That whosoever directly or indirectly abetted or in any way, form or manner countenanced to unchartered & dangerous invasion of our rights as claimed by G. Britain is an enemy to this County – to America & to the inherent & inaliable rights of man.
We the Citizens of Mecklenburg County do hereby desolve the political bands which have connected us to the Mother Country & hereby absolve ourselves from all allegiance to the British crown & abjure all political connection, contract or association with that nation who have wantonly trampled on our rights & liberties & inhumanely shed the innocent blood of American patriots at Lexington.
We do hereby declare ourselves a free and independent people – are & of right ought to be a sovereign & self-governing association, under the controul of no power other than that of our God & the general government of the congress, to the maintainence of which independence civil & religious we solemnly pledge to each other our mutual cooperation, our lives, our fortunes & our most sacred honor.
As we now acknowledge the existence & controul of no law or legal officers, civil or military, within this County, we do hereby ordain & adopt as a rule of life, all, each & every of our former laws – wherein nevertheless the crown of great britain never can be considered as holding rights, privileges, immunities, or authority therein.
It is also further decreed that all, each & every military officer in this County is hereby reinstated in his former command & authority, he acting conformably to these regulations. And that every member present of this delegation shall henceforth be a civil officer, viz. a Justice of the peace in the character of a ‘Committee-man’ to issue process, hear & determine all matters of controversy according to sd. adopted laws – to preserve peace, union & harmony in sd. County & to use every exertion to spread the love of country & fire of freedom throughout America until a more general & organized government be established in this province. A selection from the members present shall constitute a Committee of public safety for sd. County.
That a copy of these resolutions be transmitted by express to the President of the Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia, to be laid before that body. Ephraim Brevard Hezekiah J. Balch John Phifer James Harris William Kennon John Foard Richard Barry Henry Downs Ezra Alexander Charles Alexander Zaccheus Wilson Waightstill Avery Benjamin PattonMatthew McClure Neil Morrison Robert Irwin John Flennegin David Reese William Graham John Queary Hezekiah Alexander Adam Alexander John Davidson Richard Harris Thomas Polk Abraham AlexanderJohn McKnitt Alexander
While there still exists much controversy on the authenticity of the Declaration, none exists with regard to the Resolves adopted on May 31, 1775. Captain James Jack of Charlotte was sent with a copy of the resolves and a letter to the North Carolina delegates to the Continental Congress requesting their approval by Congress.
The Mecklenburg Resolves
This day the Committee of this County met, and passed the following Resolves: WHEREAS by an Address presented to his Majesty by both Houses of Parliament in February last, the American Colonies are declared to be in a state of actual rebellion, we conceive that all Laws and Commissions confirmed by, or derived from the Authority of the king or Parliament, are annulled and vacated, and the former civil Constitution of these Colonies for the present wholly suspended. To provide in some Degree for the Exigencies of the County in the present alarming Period, we deem it proper and necessary to pass the following resolves, viz. 1. That all Commissions, civil and military, heretofore granted by the Crown, to be exercised in these Colonies, are null and void, and the Constitution of each particular Colony wholly suspended. 2. That the Provincial Congress of each Province, under the Direction of the Great Continental Congress, is invested with all legislative and executive Powers within their respective Provinces; and that no other Legislative or Executive does or can exist, at this Time, in any of these Colonies. 3. As all former Laws are now suspended in this Province, and the Congress have not yet provided others, we judge it necessary, for the better Preservation of good Order, to form certain Rules and Regulations for the internal Government of this County, until Laws shall be provided for us by the Congress. 4. That the Inhabitants of this Country do meet on a certain Day appointed by this Committee, and having formed themselves into nine Companies, to wit, eight for the County, and one for the Town of Charlotte, do choose a Colonel, and other military Officers, who shall hold and exercise their several Powers by Virtue of this Choice, and independent of Great-Britain, and former Constitution of this Province. 5. That for the better Preservation of the Peace, and Administration of Justice, each of these Companies do choose from their own Body two discreet Freeholders, who shall be impowered each by himself, and singly, to decide and determine all Matters of Controversy arising within the said Company under the Sum of Twenty Shillings, and jointly and together all Controversies under the Sum of Forty Shillings, yet so as their Decisions may admit of Appeals to the Convention of the Select Men of the whole County; and also, that any one of these shall have power to examine, and commit to Confinement , Persons accused of Petit Larceny. 6. That those two Select Men, thus chosen, do, jointly and together, choose from the Body of their particular Company two Persons, properly qualified to serve as Constables, who may assist them in the execution of their Office. 7. That upon the Complaint of any Person to either of these Select men, he do issue his Warrant, directed to the Constable, commanding him to bring the Aggressor before him or them to answer the said Complaint. 8. That these Eighteen Select Men, thus appointed, do meet every third Tuesday in January, April, and October, at the Court-House in Charlotte to hear and determine all Matters of Controversy of Sums exceeding Forty Shillings; also Appeals: And in Cases of Felony, to commit the Person or Persons convicted thereof to close Confinement, until the Provincial Congress shall provide and establish Laws and Modes of Proceeding in Such Cases. 9. That these Eighteen Select Men, thus convened, do choose a Clerk to record the Transactions of the said Convention; and that the said Clerk, upon the Application of any Person or Persons aggrieved, do issue his Warrant to one of the Constables, to summons and warn the said Offender to appear before the convention at their next sitting, to answer the aforesaid Complaint. 10. That any Person making Complaint upon Oath to the Clerk, or any Member of the Convention, that he has Reason to suspect that any Person or Persons indebted to him in a Sum above Forty Shillings, do intend clandestinely to withdraw from the County without paying such Debt; the Clerk, or such Member, shall issue his Warrant to the Constable, commanding him to take the said Person or Persons into safe Custody, until the next sitting of the Convention. 11. That when a Debtor for a Sum below Forty Shillings shall abscond and leave the County, the Warrant granted as aforesaid shall extend to any Goods or Chattels of the said Debtor as may be found, and such Goods or Chattels be seized and held in Custody by the Constable for the space of Thirty Days; in which Term if the Debtor fails to return and discharge the Debt, the Constable shall return the Warranty to one of the Select Men of the Company where the Goods and Chattels were found, who shall issue Orders to the Constable to sell such a part of the said Goods as shall amount to the Sum due; that when the Debt exceeds Forty Shillings, the Return shall be made to the Convention, who shall issue the Orders for Sale. 12. That Receivers and Collectors for Quitrents, Public and County Taxes, do pay the same into the Hands of the Chairman of this Committee, to be by them disbursed as the public Exigencies may require. And that such Receivers and Collectors proceed no farther in their Office until they be approved of by, and have given to this Committee good and sufficient Security for a faithful return of such Monies when collected. 13. That the Committee be accountable to the County for the Application of all Monies received from such Officers. 14. That all these Officers hold their Commissions during the Pleasure of their respective Constituents. 15. That this Committee will sustain all Damages that may ever hereafter accrue to all or any of these Officers thus appointed, and thus acting, on Account of their Obedience and Conformity to these Resolves. 16. That whatever Person shall hereafter receive a Commission from the Crown, or attempt to exercise any such Commission heretofore received, shall be deemed an Enemy to his Country; and upon Information being made to the Captain of the Company where he resides the said Captain shall cause him to be apprehended, and conveyed before the two Select Men of the said Company, who, upon Proof of the Fact, shall commit him the said Offender into safe Custody, until the next sitting of the Convention, who shall deal with him as Prudence may direct. 17. That any Person refusing to yield Obedience to the above Resolves shall be deemed equally criminal, and liable to the same Punishments as the Offenders above last mentioned. 18. That these Resolves be in full Force and Virtue, until Instructions from the General Congress of this Province, regulating the Jurisprudence of this Province, shall provide otherwise, or the Legislative Body of Great-Britain resign its unjust and arbitrary Pretentions with Respect to America. 19. That the several Militia Companies in this county do provide themselves with proper arms and accoutrements, and hold themselves in constant Readiness to execute the commands and Directions of the Provincial Congress, and of this committee. 20. That this committee do appoint Colonel Thomas Polk, and Doctor Joseph Kennedy, to purchase 300 lb. of Powder, 600 lb. of Lead, and 1000 Flints; and deposit the same in some safe place, hereafter to be appointed by the committee. Eph. Brevard, Clerk of the Committee. Singed by Order of the Committee.
This document was printed in the North Carolina Gazette on June 16, 1775, and the Cape-Fear Mercury on June 23, 1775. There was a slight variation in wording in the two newspapers.
So on this day as we honor the Nation’s Founders and the Declaration of Independence of 1776, let us also honor these men from a provincial North Carolina backwater who recognized that our future lay in independence from Great Britain.
I come bearing good news on this Friday afternoon. That is if you hold the North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permit. Both the states of Nevada and Minnesota now allow holders of the NC CHP legally to carry concealed in their states. Of course, if Nevadans and Minnesotans wish to carry in North Carolina, we will recognize that permit as well as the permit of any other state as we offer universal reciprocity.
At one time, Nevada had stopped offering reciprocity to North Carolinians. However, Grass Roots North Carolina worked with state level groups there providing information on the NC CHP and its standards which led to a re-evaluation by that state.
We have some good news to announce, in that Minnesota and Nevada added North Carolina permit reciprocity. GRNC worked regularly for a multi-year period with the state gun rights organization in NV to help inform NV’s state attorney’s office on the rigor and standards involved in North Carolina’s permit process.
After thorough analysis, NV finally restored reciprocity for North Carolina’s Concealed Carry Handgun permit.
The relevant information on North Carolina permit reciprocity in these states is available here:
PERMIT TO CARRY RECIPROCITY
Minnesota
Under MN law, the Department of Public Safety (DPS) is required to publish a list of states which have handgun carry permit laws that are not similar to Minnesota’s permit-to-carry law.
You are permitted to “open-carry” firearms, with certain limitations, whether you are an in-state or out-of-state resident.
If you are a non-Nevada resident, you can carry a concealed weapon only if you have a CCW from a reciprocal state.
Currently, Nevada’s reciprocal states for concealed carry of handguns.
Reciprocity with North Carolina
This brings to an exceptional 40 states in which lawful North Carolinians may exercise the fundamental right to carry concealed firearms. For a map of reciprocal states, go to: GRNC Reciprocity Map
If you read my post from last night, you know that it was not Moms Demand Action, Giffords, Everytown, or North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (sic) who deserves the credit for killing the permitless concealed carry bill, HB 189, in the NC House yesterday. The credit really goes to the people in Fairfax.
Nonetheless, Becky and her minions at NCGV are claiming credit. Below is what they posted to Instagram.
In an email sent out at 1:34pm on May 4th, they said:
HUGE news! We did it: the Permitless Carry bill was WITHDRAWN from the NC House calendar last night! Our volunteers – YOU!! – sent hundreds of emails, phone banked, spread the word on social media, and showed up at the General Assembly to stop HB 189 — all in a few days!
This was not a foregone conclusion: the bill passed two legislative committees in two days, and had been scheduled for a vote last night. It was pulled at the very last minute. So for now, HB 189 is NOT advancing to a full House vote! We’ll keep watching to make sure this bill does not come back up for a House vote – but today, know that YOU stopped this bill in its tracks!!
Thank you for your support on stopping this dangerous bill – North Carolina is safer today because of you!
Becky Ceartas
Executive Director
North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Action Fund
HB 189 – Freedom to Carry NC Act has been withdrawn from a vote by the full North Carolina House of Representatives and referred back to the House Rules Committee. The bill, formerly known as the NC Constitutional Carry Act, may be dead for this session unless Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-79) can add a fiscal note to the bill. It should be noted that Rep. Kidwell is the Deputy Majority Whip. As noted earlier, the crossover deadline for passage of a bill without a fiscal note is tomorrow, May 4th.
So who is at fault and what happened?
You have your choice.
You can blame Speaker Tim Moore who requested a training component be part of the bill, you can blame the NRA who has now come out in opposition to the bill at the last moment because it includes a training component, or Sen. President Pro Tem Phil Berger who says they’ve done enough on gun rights.
Given the NRA had a chance to testify either for or against the bill during the Judiciary 2 Committee hearing and did not, I think the blame rests more at their feet than that of Speaker Moore. I think Speaker Moore anticipated the opposition from some in law enforcement as well as from the anti-gun lobby and wanted to negate the rationale for their opposition to the bill. As for Sen. Berger, this is not the first time he’s decided to kill attempts at permitless carry. He did it in the 2017-2018 session after it had passed the House because he was afraid of losing his super-majority which he lost anyway.
Grass Roots North Carolina, a gun rights group that was one of the bill’s chief supporters, had strongly urged GOP leaders to take it up this week. The group’s president, Paul Valone, said he would continue to work on trying to get the bill passed this session.
Valone indicated that the National Rifle Association had concerns about education requirements that had been added to the bill on Tuesday while it was considered by a House committee.
“We are disappointed that the NRA, which has been largely absent in this session of the General Assembly, swooped in at the last minute and declared the bill unacceptable, due to the training provision we had added,” Valone said. “We are continuing to work on the bill, it is still alive, and we are by no means done.”
D.J. Spiker, the NRA’s North Carolina state director, said in response that the NRA “will never apologize for refusing to compromise on an issue as critical as Constitutional Carry.”
Sen. Berger said as the bill was being removed from the calendar that he thought the Republicans had done enough when they finally got rid of the pistol purchase permit. He also said he didn’t think the timing was right.
“We have passed a substantial bill dealing with some concerns about (the) Second Amendment. We’ve done away with the pistol purchase permit, which was the No. 1 goal of many of the gun rights groups for a long period of time,” Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters. “I just don’t know if if there’s a need for us to delve into additional issues dealing with guns and people’s Second Amendment rights.”
In my estimation, if the NRA had been willing to join with GRNC and GOA in support of the bill, flawed or not, then it would have passed and the NC Senate would have taken up the bill either in 2023 or 2024. As for the NRA’s rationale for opposing the bill of not being willing to compromise their principles, that is a joke. One of the things the NRA always seems willing to do is compromise even when it is not warranted.
I speculate that there was an element of retribution in the NRA’s 11th hour opposition to HB 189. The bill, like the repeal of the pistol purchase permit, was closely identified with Grass Roots North Carolina and not the NRA. The NRA got really pissy when they were called out for taking credit for the repeal and dumping on GRNC for taking the rightful credit. When that is added to the “if it’s not invented here” syndrome which pervades the NRA, it became more important to screw GRNC (and gun rights supporters in North Carolina) than to pass the bill.
Was the bill as clean as one would have liked? Of course it wasn’t. However, in politics it is the art of the possible and not the perfect. Getting HB 189 passed in time to meet the crossover deadline was the critical issue. Once the bill was in the Senate, it could have been amended any number of ways to make it better. Now, unless a miracle happens, thanks to the NRA we wait another two damn years.
The North Carolina House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to over-ride Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of SB 41. The vote was 71 aye, 46 nay, and 3 absent or not voting. The vote transcript has not been published as of this writing. I will update it later today when it is available.
SB 41 now goes into law. One of the everlasting stains of North Carolina’s segregationist, white surpremacist past is now erased. It only took 104 years. The Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit is now history.
Just as importantly, churches with attached private schools will be able to protect their congregations from those intent on doing evil. On the latter, the carrying of firearms is only allowed with church permission and only at times when students are not present including during extracurricular events.
I will be updating this post throughout the day with reactions.
UPDATE: The breakdown of the vote was finally posted yesterday. All 71 Republicans voted for the override. 46 Democrats voted no and 3 more had excused absences.
As I posted earlier, Carolina Forward wants Dems to eat their own. Interestingly, Rep. Cotham (D-Mecklenburg) says she had previously notified both the Speaker and Minority Leader she would be absent for a hospital procedure. Meanwhile, Rep. Brockman (D-Guilford) was reportedly being seen at an urgent care facility. Rep. Wray was an original sponsor of the repeal and it is thought this was his way of not voting “no”.
Rep. Willingham (D- Bertie, Edgecombe, & Martin) had previously voted for the bill and had said in reference to another bill that even with a veto he stuck by his vote. It is thought that knowing there would be two absences, he could vote no and be let off the hook by the Dems.
Bottom line, Speaker Tim Moore knew one way or another he had the votes going into yesterday morning.
The North Carolina House of Representatives passed HB50 yesterday on a straight party-line vote. The vote was 67 aye, 48 nay, and 5 excused. No Democrat voted for the the repeal of the pistol purchase permit.
This now goes to the Senate which has passed the repeal as part of an omnibus bill.
When this bill finally is sent to Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) for signature, you can expect a veto. The difference between last session and this session is that the rules have changed. Under the new rule of the House, the Speaker can call for an override vote at any time. This means all he has to do is make sure every Republican is there and 1-2 Democrats are absent.
I don’t know the timeline yet for when HB50 and SB51 will be reconciled.
YouTuber Liberty Doll released a new video a couple of days ago about North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit and the drive to repeal that law. I am really happy to see someone with her following – approximately 250,000 subscribers – pick up on the efforts to pass SB 41 in the face of Democrat opposition.
There are only two clarifications that I would make after watching her video. First, only handguns currently require a purchase permit with an exemption from the requirement for those that hold NC Concealed Handgun Permits. Second, on church carry, it only applies to non-public K-12 schools that are also places of worship.
I’m not sure where Liberty Doll is located but I am glad she has joined the fight to rid North Carolina of these laws.
This post is something of a teaser. I will have full details soon after New Year’s. I had a chance to test fire a pre-production pistol on Thursday. The developer and project manager were doing torture testing of it and gave me an invite to come fire it which I did.
This was my second chance to fire the pistol. I had shot a prototype of it a few months ago.
Without going into details about the pistol or the developer, all I will say is that I think it will make a very nice compact carry pistol. One cool thing about it that I will say is that it will be produced within a couple of miles of my home.
by 
We’ll keep watching to make sure this bill does not come back up for a House vote – but today, know that YOU stopped this bill in its tracks!!
