North Carolina General Assembly

Uncategorized

Even The Sheriffs’ Own Report Contradicts Themselves On HB 562

June 16, 2015 by

North Carolina’s HB 562 – the Second Amendment Affirmation Act – has been added to the House calendar for today. In the meantime, a report from the North Carolina Sheriffs Association directly contradicts their assertions that the sheriffs are the ones best placed to determine who should be allowed to purchase a handgun. They have been arguing that sheriffs know more about the people in their county than what is contained in the FBI’s NICS database.

HB 937 passed in the 2013-2014 session of the General Assembly required sheriffs to submit a report assessing how many existing pistol purchase permits were still held by disqualified persons. The bill as passed allowed for the North Carolina Sheriffs Association to submit one report compiling the results from all 100 sheriffs. Let’s just say the results are not exactly what the NCSA wishes to be known.

Grass Roots North Carolina details the results in the alert below. Note that it includes a link to the report. I suggest that you take that link and send it with a note to your own House representative. I certainly plan to send it to Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe) who is my rep.

SHERIFFS
REPORT EXPOSES
PISTOL PURCHASE PERMIT SYSTEM
Sheriff report shows NICS checks are superior to our archaic permit
system at keeping criminals from getting guns. . .

The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) has been the
leading opponent of House Bill 562, in particular its repeal of North
Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit (PPP) system. Their
objections have been a moving target as they first claimed sheriffs
“know” their constituents and “know” who is unfit to get a permit; then
they claimed the National Instant Background Check
System is inadequate to conduct criminal background checks (although in
truth most sheriffs conduct only a NICS check prior to issuing a
permit);
finally, they shopped the argument that relying on NICS for
point-of-purchase checks would somehow undermine the sheriff and empower
the federal
government – an argument rendered ridiculous if you understand that sheriffs are required by law to do NICS checks prior to
issuing purchase permits.

Sheriffs’ own report an indictment of the system

So imagine our surprise when we discovered that the NCSA had
quietly shelved its own report describing what complete chaos the pistol
purchase permit system is in, and how many permits might currently be
held by criminals. Under HB 937, passed in 2013, sheriffs were required
to
develop a report indicating how many disqualified persons still held
permits which are valid for 5 years and allow them to bypass background
checks
via NICS. They were also required to revoke invalid permits. To see the
NCSA report, CLICK HERE (or go to:
http://grnc.org/documents/NCSA-PPP-Revocation-Report-2014-FINAL.pdf).

Some highlights from the NCSA report with most in sheriffs’ own
words:

  • “[NICS] reports included 165 or 23.5% of permits being subject to revocation in Camden
    County and 35,488 or 38% of permits being subject to revocation in Mecklenburg County.”

  • “…sheriffs’
    offices
    [submitted] 674,806 permits for review representing 344,338 different
    permit holders. CJLEADS returned 26,637 permits to sheriffs as subject
    to revocation due to an event or condition that occurred subsequent to
    the issuance of the permit that would have disqualified the individual
    from
    receiving a pistol purchase permit at application.” [That rate is about
    4%, or four times higher than NICS, suggesting that the PPP system is
    *inferior* to NICS at preventing criminals from getting
    guns.]

  • “Sheriffs have reported revoking 5,255 permits from
    2,447 permittees as a result of the background check
    and review process through April 25, 2014. However, it should be noted
    that a
    sheriff has no way of knowing if a permit has been used since issuance.”
    [Translation: Perhaps only ¼ of 26,637 invalid permits were
    “revoked,” leaving potentially 22,000+ criminals in possession of
    permits and able to bypass background checks.]

  • “Sheriffs’ offices are staffed to review and process Pistol Purchase Permit applications and not to conduct periodic reviews of
    active permits…”

  • “Conducting an ongoing manual case by case review of 289 permits in Tyrrell County or
    93,486 permits in Mecklenburg County is nearly impossible.” [So much for NCSA’s argument that sheriffs “know” who in their
    counties should have permits. If they can’t manually check them now, how can they do so before issuance?]

  • “Several
    sheriffs’ offices had over 40% of their permits reported subject to revocation in the NICS report.”

  • “Sheriffs’ offices cannot account for permits claimed to be ‘lost’…”

  • “Gun dealers do not know if a permit has been revoked…”

What the NCSA report means

While the sheriffs will undoubtedly claim that inconsistencies of data
matching
contributed to high rates of permits being reported for revocation, even
the “best” possible number of 5,255 permits “revoked”
means 5,255 criminals had (or have) guns under the system.

By the way, did we mention that “revocation”
means only that the sheriff issued a revocation letter? If the criminal says, “The dog ate my permit,”
they have no recourse and that criminal may still use that slip of paper to bypass a computerized background check.

The bottom line is that
NICS checks are superior to our archaic permit system at keeping criminals from getting guns.

Adding insult to injury…

Before the
NCSA apparently instructed sheriffs to stonewall on the cost of issuing
each
pistol purchase permit, Forsyth County was kind enough to give the
following estimate: $50.54 for each pistol purchase permit issued,
meaning a waste of taxpayer dollars of $311,781.26 for just one county. Multiply that by 100 counties, and the
evidence is compelling that millions of dollars of your money is being wasted to shore up a system that lets criminals get guns while
obstructing the law-abiding from doing so.

By the way, did we mention that Forsyth reports denying nearly 10% of
permits applied for, with most presumably under the “good moral
character” loophole? That rate of denial is roughly 10 times higher than
NICS and once again suggests that good guys are being denied guns while
bad guys are getting them.

DY OF MESSAGE HERE


IMMEDIATE
ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL NC HOUSE
    REPUBLICANS    . Use the copy/paste email list provided below, and the copy paste text under ‘Deliver This Message.’ Ask them how
    they can justify retaining an archaic system that allows more criminals to get guns than NICS.

  • CALL YOUR NC HOUSE
    REPRESENTATIVE    . Tell him or her that he or she had better support repeal of a system which quite obviously hinders
    law-abiding citizens from getting guns while enabling criminals to do precisely that. Find your NC House rep by clicking here

    (or go to: http://ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx).

CONTACT INFO


NC House Republicans Email List:

Jay.Adams@ncleg.net;
Dean.Arp@ncleg.net;
Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net;
Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; John.Blust@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net;
John.Bradford@ncleg.net; Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net; Mark.Brody@ncleg.net;
Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net;
Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net;
George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net;
Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net;
Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net;
Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net;
Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net;
John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net;
Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net;
Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net;
Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net;
Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net;
Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net;
James.Langdon@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net;
Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net;
Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Gary.Pendleton@ncleg.net;
Larry.Pittman@ncleg.net;
Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net;
George.Robinson@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net;
Jason.Saine@ncleg.net;
Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net;
Michael.Speciale@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net;
Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net;
John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net;
Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Sam.Watford@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net;
Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net;
Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Paul.Tine@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS
MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “End the ‘Felon
Enablement’ Permit System”  

Dear Representative:

With respect to House Bill 562, a report shelved by the North Carolina
Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) and only recently unearthed demonstrates
beyond a reasonable doubt that sheriffs are shoring up an archaic pistol
purchase permit system which allows thousands of felons to get guns,
while denying law-abiding citizens whom the sheriff arbitrarily deems
not of
“good moral character.” The report reveals that the computerized
National Instant Background Check System (NICS) found 26,637 permits
held
by disqualified individuals – nearly 4%, or roughly four times higher
than denials by NICS. Even if the NCSA claims errors in data matching,
the
organization admits 5,255 revocation letters were issued, meaning that
the archaic pistol purchase permit system let at least 5,255 criminals
have
guns.

Worse, Forsyth County reports that the cost of issuing a single
purchase permit – for which the county gets $5, is $50.54 while nearly
10%
of applications are denied, suggesting that across our one hundred
counties, tax payers are funding a system which wastes millions of
dollars denying
guns permits to law-abiding citizens while giving them to felons.

Bring HB
562 to the floor for a vote and pass it, including its provision for
repealing the purchase permit system. If House Republicans fail to act,
they are perpetuating a “felon enablement” law.

Respectfully, 
Uncategorized

Incoming Speaker of NC House Is Good On Guns

November 23, 2014 by 1 Comment

The Republican majority in the North Carolina House of Representatives elected Rep. Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) to replace Senator-elect Thom Tillis as Speaker. Moore, a Kings Mountain attorney, was selected on the first ballot by House Republicans as they met in Asheboro.

Moore won a majority of votes from the 73 GOP lawmakers that met at Randolph Community College. He beat Reps. Justin Burr of Albemarle, Mitchell Setzer of Catawba, John Blust of Greensboro, Leo Daughtry of Smithfield and Bryan Holloway of King.


Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam of Wake County was nominated as speaker pro tem. Rep. Mike Hager of Rutherford County was elected majority leader and John Bell from Wayne County, majority whip.


Huntersville Republican Charles Jeter was unopposed for conference chair, a post in which he’ll oversee campaigns and fundraising.

Moore was ranked second in the NC House in terms of effectiveness by the North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research. He had chaired the House Rules Committee.

So what does this mean for gun rights in North Carolina?

Moore was recommended by Grass Roots North Carolina-PVF where he was ranked 4 stars. He was endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund and rated as A+.  That’s a good start. It does get better as Rep. Moore was one of the speakers at a gun rights rally in 2013 organized by GRNC. Given their reputation as a “no compromise” organization, the fact that Moore would be one of the speakers says volumes about him.

It was through the efforts of Moore as head of the Rules Committee that Durham County’s 80 year old gun registry was scrapped.

What about the rest of the Republicans in the House leadership?

Rep. Skip Stam (R-Wake) who will be Speaker Pro Tem is, at best, mediocre. He was rated B- by the NRA-PVF and did not receive an endorsement. Stam was not recommended by GRNC-PVF and was rated a mere 2 stars. He was characterized as a “weasel” by GRNC for his efforts to weaken some of the gun rights laws that passed the General Assembly in the last two sessions.

Rep. Mike Hager (R-Rutherford) who will be the House Majority Leader is much better. He received both a recommendation and 4 stars from the GRNC-PVF while also getting an A and the endorsement from the NRA-PVF. Hager was one of the sponsors of the bill that made the names of NC CHP and pistol permit applicants private.

Rep. John Bell (R-Wayne) is slated to be the House Majority Whip. He was rated as 4 stars by GRNC-PVF and was recommended. The NRA-PVF graded him an “A” and gave him their endorsement. His website points out the fallacy of gun-free zones and says they put innocent lives at risk. He sponsored HB937 which increased the number of places firearms would be permitted.

Rep. Charles Jeter (R-Mecklenburg) is the Republican Conference Chair. He was rated 3 stars by GRNC-PVF but was recommended. The NRA-PVF graded him an “A” and gave him their endorsement. His position on the Second Amendment post-Newtown was not to be reactionary like legislators on New York and Connecticut.

One thing I think should be pointed about this House leadership is their relative youth. Speaker-elect Tim Moore is 44, Conference Chair Charles Jeter is 41, and while I don’t have the exact age for Majority Whip John Bell, he appears to be in his late 30s to early 40s. House Majority Leader Mike Hager is a little older at age 52. Speaker Pro Tem Skip Stam is the old guy of the bunch at 64 but, then again, the position traditionally is held by older legislators.

To conclude, with the exception of Skip Stam, the Republican House leadership for the upcoming session is good on guns. This is good news for gun rights bills that will be presented in the new session.

Uncategorized

HB 937 Passes Both Houses And Is Sent To Governor

July 24, 2013 by 2 Comments

It appears that the North Carolina General Assembly can get its act together when it is under time pressure. The amended HB 937 was passed by both houses of the General Assembly this evening. Earlier reports had it being on the calendar for tomorrow.

The vote was 73-41 in favor of the amendment from the Conference Committee in the House while the Senate passed it by a vote of 32-14. The roll call of the votes are not available yet.

Uncategorized

Agreement Reached On HB 937

July 23, 2013 by 3 Comments

The Conference Committee hammering out differences between the Senate version and the House version of HB 937 has reported back to the North Carolina General Assembly with an amended bill which can be found here.

The bill has been put on the legislative calendar for an up-down vote tomorrow. I would expect it to pass.

I will have more on the changes as I read the Committee’s report.

UPDATE: The bill stays the same except for Sections 17 and 18.  The changes include:

  • Section 17.1 drops the word “license” from § 14-403.
  • Section 17.2(a) changes § 14-404 to require that a person denied a pistol purchase permit be given the reason for the denial; that the denial include specific facts as to why the applicant was denied including listing by statute number the applicable law. 
  •  Section 17.2(a) requires the sheriff to keep a list of denials, minus the personally identifying information, including the specific reason for a denial as a public record.
  • Section 17.2(a) requires the Clerk of Court to send records to the NICS System within 48 hours of being notified of any judicial finding, court order, or other factual matters that would cause a person to be denied a permit under
    § 14-404
  •  Section 17.2(a) sets the cost of a purchase permit at $5; does not allow any limit on the number or frequency of permits issued to an individual; does not allow the sheriff charge extra for the investigation, processing, or medical background checks; and requires either a permit or denial be given to the applicant within 14 days.
  • Section 17.2(a) requires the revocation of a permit for anything that happens subsequent to the permit’s issuance that would have denied a permit in the first place. Also required is that the permit holder surrender his or her permit when notified of its revocation.
  • Section 17.2(b) requires a report from the Administrative Office of the Courts regarding the implementation of the Clerk of Court NICS System notification requirement.
  • Section 17.2(c) sets the effective date for NICS System notification at July 1, 2014; for the remainder of Section 17.2(a) at October 1, 2013; and for the rest of Section 17 immediately upon becoming law.
  • Section 17.3 requires the sheriff of a county to examine the validity of all outstanding permits by January 31, 2014. If there are any that would be subject to revocation, he or she is to take steps as detailed above. A report is required from each sheriff on results of their review by March 31, 2014.
  • Section 17.4 requires sheriffs to keep a record of permits issued as well as denials. These records are non-public and confidential.
  • Section 18 just makes a minor clerical change to GS 14-315(b1)(1) which concerns a prohibition on giving or selling weapons to minors.
Uncategorized

Time To Turn The Screws Down On Republicans In NC

July 23, 2013 by

It is time for the Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly to either put up or shut up. They talk a good game when they want gun owners votes but when given a chance to actually send a decent gun bill to the governor, they waffle and drag their feet.

HB 937 which would amend a number of gun laws in North Carolina has passed both the House and the Senate in different forms. When given a choice on passing the stronger of the two versions, the House Republicans waffled and sent it to a conference committee. Now the conference committee which is composed entirely of Republicans is dragging its feet. The General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn this coming Friday.

We went through this garbage in the last session where one house passed restaurant carry and then it was never acted upon by the other house. It is time for this nonsense to stop. The conference committee needs to report out a bill without garbage attached to it and to do it now.

As Grass Roots North Carolina notes in their alert below, Republicans will be held accountable if they fail to pass this bill. Instead of considering a bill to honor All-American Cities, why not do something that is substantive and not symbolic?

The clock to adjournment is ticking…IT IS TIME TO BRING THE HEAT!

While the gun rights of North Carolinians hang in the balance, Republican leadership can’t stop playing political games. They are being manipulated by the competing misguided interests of the NC Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) and NRA.

The political angst has reached the level that Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer has begun emailing accusations that GRNC is spreading “inaccurate information”. GRNC President Paul Valone quickly responded:

“As I just told your legislative assistant, Sharon, I would love to know what is “inaccurate” about our reporting. My understanding was that to close what you yourself have called the “arming felons loophole,” sans repeal of all or part of the purchase permit statute, you suggested requiring NICS checks if purchase permits were older than 30 days. As we have said all along (and I have numerous positions issued to Republicans to this effect), punishing gun owners for the malfeasance of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association is unacceptable to us. So please, tell me what is “inaccurate,” before I am forced to report to 87,000 gun owners that it is actually you who is disseminating false information.“

It is time to stop the blame game and pandering to NCSA and NRA. These organizations didn’t elect the Assembly. You did. Have they forgotten who they represent?

Apparently they need another reminder. GRNC has set-up a “Pass HB 937” petition at http://grnc.org/pass-h937 that will help the politicians focus on the issue. Sign it, and pass along the link to your friends.

The Assembly is set to adjourn this Friday. We only have a few more days to instill sense in both the Assembly and Governor McCrory and get this bill passed.

We have fought for years for this progress. Failure IS NOT AN OPTION!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

You need to do three things:

  1. Call the three Republican leaders, Gov. McCrory, Speaker Tillis, President Pro Tempore Berger;

  2. Sign the petition and forward it to others; and

  3. Send the copy-and-paste message to all Republicans in the NC House and Senate

MAKE SURE TO BOTH CALL AND EMAIL Sen. Berger, Speaker Tillis and Gov. McCrory. This is our last chance to make an impression. Let’s make it GOOD!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Speaker Thom Tillis, 919-733-3451, Email: Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net

Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, 919-733-5708, Email: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net

Gov. Pat McCrory, 919-814-2000, Email using BOTH this address governor.office@nc.gov AND the webpage at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat

Use the following cut-and-paste email list to contact NC House Republicans:

Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; Robert.Brawley@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Jim.Fulghum@ncleg.net; Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net; Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net; Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net; Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.net; Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Tom.Murry@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Nathan.Ramsey@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net; Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; Michael.Stone@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net; Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net

Use the following cut-and-paste email list to contact NC Senate Republicans:

Austin.Allran@ncleg.net, Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net, Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net, Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net, Phil.Berger@ncleg.net, Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net, Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net, Harry.Brown@ncleg.net, Peter.Brunstetter@ncleg.net, Bill.Cook@ncleg.net, David.Curtis@ncleg.net, Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net, Jim.Davis@ncleg.net, Thom.Goolsby@ncleg.net, Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net, Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net, Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net, Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net, Neal.Hunt@ncleg.net, Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net, Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net, Buck.Newton@ncleg.net, Louis.Pate@ncleg.net, Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net, Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net, Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net, Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net, Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net, Dan.Soucek@ncleg.net, Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net, Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net, Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net, Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: Republicans will be held responsible for failure of HB 937

Dear Speaker Tillis/President Pro Tem Phil Berger/Governor Pat McCrory/Representative/Senator:

NC gun owners have worked too hard for too long and have spent too much time and money supporting politicians claiming to be pro-Second Amendment. If HB 937, the omnibus gun bill, fails to be passed into law we will hold you responsible.

You need to make sure this bill leaves the conference committee and is signed by Gov. McCrory. We’ve had enough of the political games. HB 937 must be signed into law this year or there will be a price to be paid during the next election.

You owe this to NC gun owners who are largely responsible for your election. Do not disappoint us.

I will be following progress through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

Uncategorized

Screwing Up HB 937

July 19, 2013 by 1 Comment

It was not bad enough that the North Carolina House didn’t concur with the Senate on the changes to HB 937 but now the House sponsor Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg) and House chair of the Conference Committee is proposing to make it worse. I could make snide comments about Mecklenburg County politicians such as Tillis, Schaffer, and McCrory screwing up the state for the rest of the 99 counties but I won’t.

Grass Roots North Carolina has the details below in an alert sent out late last night.


A DEAL TO PUNISH GUN OWNERS

HB 937 was making the partial repeal of the current Jim Crow-era pistol permit system look like a reality. Then, the political pressure mounted.

GRNC has learned that the partial repeal of the current, old-fashioned system is in jeopardy, and worse, the current system might become even more complicated and restrictive. The NRA has not “signed off” on the partial repeal of the old permit system, and worse, someone has convinced HB 937 sponsor, Rep. Jacqueline Michelle Schaffer, to modify the language such that NICS checks are to be required for pistols purchased with permits more than 30 days old.

There are two problems with this:

  1. The NCSA has already said that NICS checks are not adequate. So why subject law-abiding gun owners to additional pointless background checks?


  2. According to GRNC President, Paul Valone, “This action would punish innocent gun owners for the malfeasance of the NCSA, and is unacceptable!”

Speaker Tillis, Representative Schaffer and Governor McCrory are poised to bow to the NCSA pressure. This would be a major sellout of North Carolina gun owners. If political pressure pushes these politicians to punish us, GRNC may encourage gun owners to sit out the 2014 midterm elections. The Speaker, Rep. Schaffer, Gov. McCrory and all of the Republicans in Raleigh need to know that they can’t take gun owners for granted, and any anti-gun actions will not be tolerated. See below to learn what you can do to let these politicians know what you think of their proposed anti-gun deal.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

PHONE SPEAKER TILLIS, REPRESENTATIVE SCHAFFER AND GOVERNOR McCRORY.
E-MAIL THE SPEAKER, REP. SCHAFFER AND THE GOVERNOR.

CONTACT INFO

Speaker Tillis: 919-733-3451

Rep. Schaffer: 919-733-5886

Governor McCrory: (919) 814-2000

Phone them and tell them that you know about their anti-gun scheme, and you won’t be taken for granted. Tell them that following through on the plan to worsen our already old-fashioned pistol permit system may hurt all Republicans in Raleigh by forcing you to consider sitting out the 2014 midterm elections.

Use the following e-mail addresses and link to deliver the message below:

Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net

Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net

E-mail the Governor using this link:

http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Don’t Punish Gun Owners”

Dear Speaker Tillis, Representative Schaffer, and Governor McCrory:

I have recently learned of a compromise being considered regarding HB 937, and I am writing to tell you that making our state’s outdated pistol permit system even worse than it already is will not help your esteem in the eyes of gun owners. Simply leaving the current Jim Crow-era system in place would be bad enough. However, what is being proposed would create a system that is even more difficult for law-abiding citizens to navigate than the current system. The new proposal would add a new thirty-day limit to permit validity, which would then require a point-of-sale NICS check. This is not acceptable.

It is the decades-long malfeasance of the NCSA and their support of a current system that has allowed the “arming felons” loophole to remain in place. Keeping this old-fashioned system, and then making it yet even more complicated and unjust is not an improvement. In fact, if this new restriction to the current permit system is added, I, and surely thousands of other gun owners in North Carolina, may sit out the 2014 midterm elections. Gun owning voters will not be taken for granted.

I strongly urge you to stand firm against the political pressure to compromise at the expense of gun owners. This is not an acceptable compromise by any stretch, and if it happens, the Republicans will be held responsible, and they will feel it at the polls.

I will be monitoring the status of this issue via Grass Roots North Carolina alerts.

Respectfully,

Uncategorized

GRNC Alert On The HB 937 Conference Committee

July 17, 2013 by 2 Comments

Grass Roots North Carolina issued an alert last night regarding the move the NC House to send HB 937 to a Conference Committee. The move, while disappointing, was not unexpected given the staunch opposition by the NC Sheriffs Association to doing away with the Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit system. There had been rumors that Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) would veto the bill if that provision was not removed as a way to placate the sheriffs.

The alert from GRNC encourages gun rights supporters to contact Speaker Thom Tills (R-Mecklenburg), Sen. President Pro-Tem Phil Berger (R-Rockingham), and Gov. McCrory to demand that, with the exception of the pistol purchase permit system, nothing else be dropped from the bill.

From GRNC:

House sends bill to conference committee


As expected, the NC House today voted against concurring with Senate changes to HB 937 (“Amend Various Firearms Laws”). The bill contains provisions for concealed carry in restaurants, assemblies of people for which admission is charged, state-controlled parking lots, educational properties (provided guns are kept in locked vehicles) and much more. If passed largely intact, it will represent the largest advance in gun rights in North Carolina history.


At issue is the repeal of North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit law, which is opposed by the NC Sheriffs’ Assoc. and Governor Pat McCrory. While GRNC strongly urged that the House concur with Senate strengthening of the bill, leaving the full PP repeal intact, we remain optimistic about resolution of differences because Speaker Thom Tillis’ office has said that:

  1. Other aspects of the bill will not be weakened in committee and will, in fact, likely be strengthened in at least one respect;
  2. Although the PP repeal will not stay in entirety, in a radio interview Tillis has promised a compromise which will at least partially satisfy the concerns of all interested parties, including GRNC; and
  3. The bill will pass THIS YEAR.

Thanks to the stalwarts


First, GRNC wishes to thank the 18 stalwart gun rights supporters who voted for concurrence, even in the face of pressure to weaken the bill. They are: Representative(s): Bell, J.; Brawley, R.; Brody; Bumgardner; Catlin; Elmore; Faircloth; Ford; Hastings; Jones; Jordan; Millis; Pittman; Presnell; Shepard; Speciale; Stone; Torbett.


Conference committee members


We do NOT recommend beating on the following legislators who have been appointed to the conference committee, since they are generally strong Second Amendment supporters with excellent voting records. We are particularly heartened by the fact that the Senate Chair is Sen. Buck Newton, primary architect of the Senate improvements to HB 937. The conferees are:


House: Rep. Jacqueline Michelle Schaffer, Chair; Rep. Justin P. Burr; Rep. John Faircloth; Rep. George G. Cleveland.


Senate: Sen. E. S. (Buck) Newton, Chair, Sen. Kathy Harrington, Sen. Andrew C. Brock, Sen. Shirley B. Randleman.


IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!


CALL & EMAIL Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Gov. Pat McCrory.


Contact Information


Speaker Thom Tillis, 919-733-3451,
Email: Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net


Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, (919) 733-5708
Email: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net


Gov. Pat McCrory, (919) 814-2000,
Email using webpage at http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat


DELIVER THIS MESSAGE


Suggested Subject: Keep HB 937 Strong


Dear Speaker Tillis/President Pro Tem Phil Berger/Governor Pat McCrory:


While I am disappointed that Republican leaders bowed to demands by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association, which seems to oppose repeal of the Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit law entirely for reasons of power and money, I remain optimistic that leadership will deliver a strong bill to the gun-owning voters who elected them.


It goes without saying that all other aspects of House Bill 937 must remain entirely intact. Beyond that, any “compromise” worked out on the purchase permit repeal must: (1) Not impose additional burdens on gun owners, including (but not limited to) record-keeping on firearm transfers and restrictions and limitations on permits; and (2) Close the “arming felons loophole” by repealing at least the portion of the law dealing with dealer transfers.


Realizing that conferees will be acting only on the approval of leadership, I will hold you responsible for the HB 937 conference committee report. I hope to tell other gun-owning voters, in future elections, that you supported their rights. I will closely monitor this issue via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.


Respectfully,

Uncategorized

NRA-ILA On HB 937 And Vote To Send To Conference Committee

July 17, 2013 by

The NRA-ILA released a statement today on the North Carolina House of Representatives vote to send HB 937 to a conference committee instead of concurring with the Senate version of the bill. They state that they don’t see this necessarily as an anti-gun vote as the bill was stalled due to the intransigence of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and pistol purchase permits.

From the NRA-ILA:

Today, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 100-14 to not concur with the Senate version of an omnibus firearms reform bill, House Bill 937. H 937 will now be sent to a House-Senate Conference Committee to resolve the differences between the two versions of this bill. This was not an anti-gun vote, as H 937 had stalled due to the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association objecting to the provision that would repeal the outdated and unnecessary state law requiring anyone who wishes to purchase a handgun to first obtain a permit from her or his county sheriff. The non-concurrence vote was necessary to move H 937 forward since there was some confusion among state legislators regarding this particular provision.

Now that H 937 will be considered in a conference committee, the NRA will continue to work directly with state legislators to ensure that this bill is passed and enacted this year. The NRA will oppose any efforts to weaken any provision of H 937. While we remain committed to repealing this obsolete and inefficient requirement, our primary goal for this year is to pass and enact the most comprehensive pro-gun version of H 937 possible.

As I stated earlier, the conference committee does have a number of pro-gun leaders such as Sen. Buck Newton on the committee so we can still get a good, if not perfect, gun bill passed.

Uncategorized

Finally! (updated)

July 17, 2013 by

House Bill 937 – Amend Various Firearms Laws – is finally on the legislative agenda of the North Carolina House for a concurrence vote today. The House is voting on the Senate Committee Substitute which, among other things, kills off that legacy of the Jim Crow era the pistol purchase permit system.

The House convenes today at 10am.

I will have results of the vote up as soon as it is available.

UPDATE: Gun owners just got screwed.Whether we got royally screwed will be determined by what comes out of the Conference Committee.

The House failed to concur on the Senate version of HB 937 by a vote of 100-14 and the bill was sent to a Conference Committee. It looks like the House kow-towed to the opposition of the bill from the NC Sheriffs Association. I’m sure opposition by the University of North Carolina System also played a part.

The Committee members from the House are the primary sponsors of the bill: Representatives Jacqueline Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg), Justin Burr (R-Stanley), John Faircloth (R-Guilford), and George Cleveland (R-Onslow). Schaffer is the chair of the Conference Committee for the House.

Burr and Cleveland were rated as 4 star by GRNC-PVF while Faircloth was rated a 3 star. Schaffer, a House freshman, did not return the GRNC-PVF questionnaire and thus automatically earned zero starts.

The details of the roll call vote are not yet posted

Despite some rumors to the contrary, Grass Roots North Carolina was always pushing for concurrence with the Senate.

UPDATE II: Grass Roots North Carolina has released the following statement regarding HB 937 and the House’s failure to concur with the Senate.

Although only 14 stalwarts voted for concurrence on HB 937, we have received assurances from the Speaker’s office that: (1) All provisions other than the purchase permit repeal will remain in the bill; (2) The limited campus carry will actually be slightly improved; (3) Although a full purchase permit repeal is unlikely (owing partially to the fact McCrory would likely veto it), negotiations are underway on a compromise which the Speaker has said would satisfy all parties; and (4) The bill would be passed this year.

Consequently, we do not suggest beating on leadership yet. In coming days, GRNC will be working closely with conferees to ensure a strong bill is sent back to both chambers for concurrence. Additional details will be released as they become available.

The final roll call vote has been changed to 96 yea and 18 nay. The breakdown can be found here. A no vote was to concur with the Senate version of the bill.

UPDATE III: The State Senate has appointed their four members of the Conference Committee. The Senate chair is Sen. Buck Newton (R-Wilson) who is not only rated 4 stars by the GRNC-PVF but is one of the staunchest supporters of Second Amendment issues in the General Assembly.

The remaining members from the Senate are Senators Kathy Harrington (R-Gaston), Andrew Brock (R-Davie), and Shirley Randleman (R-Wilkes). Both Harrington and Brock are rated 4 stars. Randleman was not rated as she replaced a candidate (Sen. Don East) who had passed away just before the election. However, Randleman’s answers to Project VoteSmart indicate she is pro-gun.

Given the Senate lineup, I am encouraged that with the exception of the pistol purchase permit issue we won’t lose anything and may even gain.

Uncategorized

“Is HB 937 Mired in ‘Dysfunction Junction’?”

July 12, 2013 by 1 Comment

HB 937 which has passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly is languishing in the House waiting their concurrence. The reason? Because the Republican leaders in both houses and Gov. Pat McCrory won’t get their damn act together.

Two things should be remembered. First, House Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) is running for the Republican nomination for the US Senate and wants to replace Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC). He is going to need the support of gun owners if he wants to take down a well-funded incumbent senator.

Second, one of the reasons that Sturm, Ruger & Co. chose the state of North Carolina for their third manufacturing plant is because we were considered a pro-gun state. They haven’t finished buying the plant in Mayodan yet and still could go to either Texas or South Carolina. Upwards of 500 new manufacturing jobs are at risk due to the shenanigans by the General Assembly and they need to be reminded of it. Senate President Pro-Tem Phil Berger represents Rockingham County which needs those jobs.

GRNC just issued an alert on the bill this afternoon.

Is HB 937 Mired in ‘Dysfunction Junction’?

Long over-due bill languishes while Republican leaders haggle…

Within sight of final victory, House Bill 937 (“Amend Various Firearms Laws”) for concealed carry in restaurants, assemblies for which admission is charged, campuses, parades and funerals, (and much more) faces one final obstacle: Intra-party Republican bickering between the NC House, Senate and Governor’s mansion.

Governor Pat McCrory, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger, and House Speaker Thom Tillis have battled over the budget, abortion legislation and more. In the latest episode of “dysfunction junction,” they are now haggling over what happens should HB 937 go to a conference committee.

To their credit, Speaker Tillis and members of both chambers continue to promise to pass the bill this year. Moreover, they seem happy with most aspects of the legislation except the pistol purchase permit repeal. The question is: What’s next and when will it happen?

Enough is enough!

GRNC is coordinating an effort to let Tillis, Berger and McCrory know we are serious about passing HB 937, and that failure to do so may have serious consequences for one or more prominent Republicans in upcoming elections. To that end, we want you to email your concerns to them, and to call each of their offices on Monday morning at 9:00 am.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • EMAIL REPUBLICAN LEADERS: Using the contact information below, email Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate President Phil Berger and Governor Pat McCrory. Let them know that you expect a concurrence vote immediately on HB 937, and for it to be signed when it hits the Governor’s desk.


  • CALL REPUBLICAN LEADERS at 0900 AM MONDAY: Using the contact information below, begin calling the offices of Speaker Tillis, Senate President Berger and Governor McCrory at 9:00 AM Monday. If you can’t get through immediately, keep trying. Tell them to stop bickering and pass HB 937.

CONTACT INFO

House Speaker Thom Tillis
Email: Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-3451

Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger
Email: Phil.Berger@ncleg.net
Phone: (919) 733-5708

Governor Pat McCrory
Email: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat
Phone: (919) 814-2000

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Bring HB 937 to a vote!”

Dear Senate President Pro Tem / Speaker of the House/ Governor:

I strongly urge you to put aside intra-party Republican squabbling and respond to gun-owning voters who played a large role in making North Carolina the only battleground state to make conservative gains in the 2012 elections.

All competing factions need to stop maneuvering and serve the people who put them in office. Specifically, House Bill 937 (“Amend Various Firearms Laws”) needs to come to a prompt concurrence vote this week.

We’ve heard all the promises: Now we want action. Speaker Tillis needs to bring HB 937 to a concurrence vote, he and Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger should resolve differences in a conference committee, if necessary, and after it clears both chambers, Governor McCrory needs to sign it into law. This year.

If HB 937 dies as the result of being held hostage to Republican power struggles, let me assure you there will be consequences in 2014 and 2016. I will be monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,