SB 50

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These Four (Now Three!) Stand In The Way Of Permitless Carry

August 16, 2025 by 4 Comments

When it comes to whipping the vote and voting as a solid bloc, the Democrats are damned good at it. The GOP not so much or at least not in the NC House of Representatives.

Such is the case of the override vote of Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC. That bill would allow permitless concealed carry in North Carolina. Permitless open carry has been legal in the state since the early 1920s. Senate President Pro-Tem Phil Berger did his work in the NC Senate which did vote to override the veto in a party-line vote.

However, the North Carolina House is one short of a super-majority which means all the Republicans must stick together and either get a Democrat to join them like with the override of HB 193 or have a couple be absent that day.

Currently, four Republicans stand in the way of overriding the veto as Speaker Destin Hall is not going to call a vote when he isn’t sure of success. You may remember that when the bill passed the House, two Republicans voted against it and 10 other Republicans were absent. One of the dissenters, Rep. William Brisson (R-Bladen & Sampson) has now indicated he will vote to override the veto. That now leaves Rep. Ted Davis, Jr. (R-New Hanover), Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin & Wayne), Rep. Howard Penny (R-Harnett & Johnston), and Rep. Stephen Ross (R-Alamance) as being the roadblocks.

Rep. Ted Davis Jr.

Rep. Davis’ office phone is 919-733-5786. His email is teddavis@ncleg.gov. His Legislative Assistant is Martha Jenkins whose email is Martha.Jenkins@ncleg.gov.

Rep. Jimmy Dixon

Rep. Dixon’s office phone is 919-715-3021. His email is jimmydixon@ncleg.gov. His Legislative Assistant is Michael Wiggins whose email is michael.wiggins@ncleg.gov.

Rep. Howard Penny – will vote to override

Rep. Penny’s office phone is 919-715-3015. His email is howard.penny@ncleg.gov. His Legislative Assistant is Grace Rogers whose email is grace.rogers@ncleg.gov.

Rep. Stephen Ross

Rep. Ross’ office phone is 919-733-5820. His email is stephen.ross@ncleg.gov. His Legislative Assistant is Tammy Ross whose email is tammy.ross@ncleg.gov.

Grass Roots North Carolina suggests using this phone message:

“We sent you to Raleigh for you to support our Second Amendment rights. Not for you to support the issuance of permission slips to exercise our rights. You need to stand up and support these rights and the will of the voters who put you in office.”

While Representatives Davis and Ross are in more urban/suburban districts, Representatives Dixon and Penny are definitely in rural (and more conservative) districts. None of these four are in marginal districts where a Democrat could use this vote against them. Indeed, that all won their seats in 2024 with 55% or greater percentage of the vote.

We have until the end of the 2025-2026 session to override the veto but I sure as heck don’t want to wait until next year. So call and email these four to make them see the light. Be polite but assertive.

UPDATE: I have learned from my friend John Petrolino that Rep. Howard Penny has now seen the light and will vote to override Stein’s veto of SB50. Thus, you should stop calls to his office unless it is thanking him for committing to vote for an override.

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Moving Ahead On Veto Overrides In NC

July 29, 2025 by

Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) vetoed two firearms related bills in June and July. SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC was vetoed in June and it provided for permitless concealed carry. It has received most of the attention. HB 193 – Firearm Law Revisions has received must less attention. That bill would allow private schools to arm staff or volunteers with firearms or stun guns provided they had extra training over and above their NC Concealed Handgun Permit. It additionally would allow persons with a carry permit to carry at churches which also had an attached school outside of school hours and events. The bill has other provisions regarding threats to public officials. Stein vetoed this bill on July 9th on the grounds of it would make children less safe.

This morning the NC Senate voted 30-19 to override the governor’s veto of SB 50. Additionally, the NC House voted 72-48 to override the veto of HB 193. However, according the General Assembly’s website, the veto override of HB 193 initially failed in the Senate but Sen. Bill Rabon (R-Brunswick, Columbus, & New Hanover) later switched his vote to Aye. This means that the veto of HB 193 has been overridden in both houses of the General Assembly and will become law.

Photo by The Humble Southpaw

Everytown and their affiliated groups were very quick to criticize the Senate for their veto override calling it “politics over public safety” which is utter BS. In their press release they allege that North Carolina has the 23rd highest rate of deaths attributed to firearms in the nation. That sound really bad until you realize that the Tar Heel State is the 9th largest in the country by population. That means we have a lower than average death rate per capita.

Now it is up to the NC House to override the veto of SB 50.

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Keep The Pressure Up On NC House GOP

July 27, 2025 by

The only way that Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of both SB 50 and HB 193 will be over-ridden is if the Republicans in the North Carolina House stay together. That plus one to three House Democrats need to be absent on the day of the vote. This is just like last session in which the pistol purchase permit was finally repealed.

GRNC issued an alert yesterday along with a call to action.

TELL ALL HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO OVERRIDE 
  STEIN’S VETOES OF CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY
       & PROTECTION OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS   
 UPDATE & ACTIONS

2A Friends and Defenders,Senate Bill 50 (“Freedom to Carry NC”) and House Bill 193 – bills that would restore your right to carry concealed without a government permission slip—WERE VETOED by Anti-2A Governor Josh Stein. His excuse? That they would “make North Carolinians less safe.” Something we all know is not true.

Make no mistake: these vetoes are not about safety. It’s about control.

Several so-called “Republicans” dodged the vote entirely. Rather than standing with their constituents and defending liberty, they chose political self-preservation over the Constitution.

You should have seen the Alert sent yesterday to address the betrayals by Ted Davis (R-Iredell) and Bill Brisson (R-Bladen, Sampson)—now permanently branded the “Treachery Twins.” They voted against SB50, siding with the Left and betraying the very voters who put them in office.

Let us be crystal clear: if Davis and Brisson once again turn their backs on us during the override vote, they will be held responsible for killing permitless carry in North Carolina. GRNC’s Political Victory Fund is watching. And when election season comes, we will remember. 

We don’t beg. We demand our rights.

Prepare to fight. Prepare to call. Prepare to vote out every last Anti-2A politician who stands in the way of your freedoms. 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED
CONTACT ALL NC House Republican Members: Email them again.

Tell them to override Stein’s Vetoes of Both SB50 and HB 193. Use the e-mail lists below. You will need to send multiple e-mails, thank you for very much for your efforts

DONATE TO GRNC: We are still low on funds after our highly successful election effort. Please donate by going to: grnc.org/wp/2012/06/donate-to-or-join-grnc/                                                      
 
CONTACT INFORMATION

NC HOUSEREPUBLICANS 

Below, find a copy-paste email list(s) so you can use to easily contact these representatives. Beneath that, in the Deliver This Message section, find the copy-paste message to use.

Reece.Pyrtle@ncleg.gov; Blair.Eddins@ncleg.gov; Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov;
Charles.Miller@ncleg.gov;Donna.White@ncleg.gov;Erin.Pare@ncleg.gov;
Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.gov;John.Torbett@ncleg.gov;John.Bell@ncleg.gov;
Karl.Gillespie@ncleg.gov;Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.gov;Kyle.Hall@ncleg.gov;
Neal.Jackson@ncleg.gov;Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.gov;Steve.Tyson@ncleg.gov;
Ted.Davis@ncleg.gov;Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.gov;William.Brisson@ncleg.gov

Jonathan.Almond@ncleg.gov; Dean.Arp@ncleg.gov;Jennifer.Balkcom@ncleg.gov;
 Brian.Biggs@ncleg.gov; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.gov;John.Blust@ncleg.gov;
Alan.Branson@ncleg.gov; Mark.Brody@ncleg.gov;
Celeste.Cairns@ncleg.gov; Grant.Campbell@ncleg.gov; Todd.Carver@ncleg.gov;
Allen.Chesser@ncleg.gov;Mike.Clampitt@ncleg.gov;Brian.Echevarria@ncleg.gov;

Wyatt.Gable@ncleg.gov; Karl.Gillespie@ncleg.gov;Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.gov;
Dudley.Greene@ncleg.gov;Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov;Julia.Howard@ncleg.gov;
Chris.Humphrey@ncleg.gov;Cody.Huneycutt@ncleg.gov;Frank.Iler@ncleg.gov;
Jake.Johnson@ncleg.gov;Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov;Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.gov;
Donnie.Loftis@ncleg.gov;Jarrod.Lowery@ncleg.gov;Jeffrey.McNeely@ncleg.gov;
Charles.Miller@ncleg.gov;Ben.Moss@ncleg.gov; Howard.Penny@ncleg.gov;

Ray.Pickett@ncleg.gov;Joe.Pike@ncleg.gov;Mark.Pless@ncleg.gov;
Larry.Potts@ncleg.gov;Timothy.Reeder@ncleg.gov;Heather.Rhyne@ncleg.gov;
Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.gov;Stephen.Ross@ncleg.gov;John.Sauls@ncleg.gov;
Mike.Schietzelt@ncleg.gov;Paul.Scott@ncleg.gov;Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.gov;

Phil.Shepard@ncleg.gov;Carson.Smith@ncleg.gov;Bill.Ward@ncleg.gov;
Harry.Warren@ncleg.gov;Sam.Watford@ncleg.gov;Diane.Wheatley@ncleg.gov;
Donna.White@ncleg.gov;David.Willis@ncleg.gov;Matthew.Winslow@ncleg.gov;
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: Stand Firm — Override Stein’s Anti-2A Vetoes

Dear NC Representatives: 
I’m writing to demand that you stand firm and vote to override Governor Josh Stein’s disgraceful vetoes of SB50 (“Freedom to Carry NC”) and HB193. These bills represent a long-overdue return to Constitutional principles—SB50 removes the permit requirement for concealed carry, and HB193 empowers private schools to protect their students using trained, vetted volunteers. approved by the schools. 

The governor’s vetoes are rooted in nothing more than tired anti-gun fearmongering and outright disregard for the rights of law-abiding citizens. I urge you to ignore the emotion-driven theatrics from House Democrats and the Anti-2A organizations and do what is right—not what is politically convenient.

29 states—three-fifths of the country—have constitutional carry. North Carolina must no longer lag behind. We were promised Constitutional Carry in 2023. We expect it in 2025. That promise must be kept.

Let me be clear: gun owners were instrumental in securing Republican majorities in the General Assembly. We did not vote for compromise. We voted for courage. We expect our representatives to fight for freedom, not fold under pressure.

I’ll be watching how you vote. So will thousands of gun rights voters across this state—through legislative alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Vote to override. Deliver the freedom we were promised.

Respectfully,
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Put Next Wednesday On Your Calendar

July 25, 2025 by

Wake County has approximately 1.1 million residents. I have to believe that more than just a handful believe in gun rights and believe that permitless concealed carry is the way to go. Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) has vetoed bill dealing with permitless carry and for the protection of students attending private schools. These vetoes must be over-ridden.

Grass Roots North Carolina is organizing a rally at the Legislative Building to push for the override of these vetoes. It is not a sure thing as two House Republicans voted against SB50 – Freedom to Carry NC and another 10 just happened to be absent on the day of the House vote. GOP politicians need to start doing more than just providing lip service to their supposed support for the Second Amendment and gun rights. The veto of SB 50 should be over-ridden in the Senate as Sen. President Pro Tem Phil Berger has his supermajority. It is up to House members to do the same and for Speaker Destin Hall to work his magic on scheduling the vote. The GOP in the House is one short of a supermajority and will depend on a few Democrats being absent.

We have fought for this too long and too hard for it to be postponed another two years. If you are in the Raleigh and can take a morning off of work, please be there.

Here is the information on the GRNC rally:

  • ATTEND NEXT WEDNESDAY IN RALEIGH:  Please plan to be at the General Assembly Legislative Building, Wednesday morning (7/30/2025), by 8:30 AM (or as soon as you can be there). Meet at “Printed Bills,” and there will be a GRNC representative there to fill you in on details as soon as they are available. See below for directions.
    Please dress for the press, business casual or nicer clothing is requested    .   

  • PLEASE RSVP:  If you can make it, please email us at DirectorOfDevelopment@GRNC.org and let us know how many will attend. The more, the merrier. Check your email for Alert Updates.

  • PLEASE CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Help us fight gun control while we promote Second Amendment principles. Please CLICK HERE to contribute. Bear in mind that GRNC is an all-volunteer organization, so you can be sure your donations are put to the best possible use. Any amount helps, and any amount is appreciated.

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN: Wednesday, 7/30/2025 at 8:30 AM (or as soon as you can be there) 
WHERE: NC General Assembly – Legislative Building 
16 W. Jones St. 
Raleigh, NC 27601

Meet in front of the “Printed Bills” office (1300 Courtyard) 
WHY: To make an impact and help GRNC
Parking Map: 

 StateGovtParkingLots1_EditSml.jpg
Building Map:
 
 NCGenAssyLegBldgMap2_EditSml.jpg
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“Allegedly Plotting to Overturn” Stein’s Veto Of Permitless Carry

June 23, 2025 by 2 Comments

The hyperbole used by the anti-rights forces is always amusing even if it is downright disingenuous.

My case in point. I received a press release about an hour ago from an Olivia Eguia representing a trio of Bloomberg organizations. They included Everytown, the Demanding Moms, and the Demanding Students (or is it petulant Gen Z’ers).

Included in the press release is a quote from a Mary Lahr Cain who reportedly is a volunteer with the Demanding Moms. Ms. Cain, if her LinkedIn profile is to be believed, was the editor of a defunct weekly newspaper out of Fuquay-Varina called the Cleveland Post.

“After Governor Stein stood up for public safety and the will of North Carolinians, extremist Republican lawmakers are allegedly working behind closed doors to override his veto last week and make this dangerous bill law before their constituents even know what’s happening,” said Mary Lahr Cain, a volunteer with North Carolina Moms Demand Action. “I’m outraged that our legislators would do this in secret instead of listening to the people they were elected to represent. Our families deserve transparency and laws that keep us safe — not political games and backroom deals that put lives at risk.”

OMG! Those evil Republicans are working behind closed doors to carry out their constitutional duties under Section 22 of the North Carolina Constitution. I would go on to note that the committee hearings on SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC – were open to the public in both houses of the General Assembly. Moreover, the votes on the bill were done in public and a roll call vote was held.

What the anti-rights forces are calling “the will of North Carolinians” is nothing more than a poll, which with the right wording, can be made to favor any position you want.

In his veto message, Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) said, “authorizing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon with no training whatsoever is dangerous.” I am all for training regardless of whether a permit is required or not and for people of all ages However, teenagers age 18 and older can currently carry a weapon with no training whatsoever. They just are required to do it openly and that is their constitutional right per State v. Kerner (1921) Those with criminal intent already ignore the law and will carry in whatever manner they choose. Seriously, what is a misdemeanor penalty of 30 days for a first offender when compared to 17 years for armed robbery?

Lest anyone forget, a majority of the states in the US currently allow permitless concealed carry. The addition of North Carolina would bring the total number to 30 with five out of the 10 largest states allowing it.

Cherry-picking statistics to bolster your argument is not a convincing way to win. Looking at what has not happened in the states that have adopted permitless concealed carry is more instructive. That is, blood has not run in the streets.

To conclude, sure there are politics involved with any bill. It was political that the General Assembly passed SB 50, it was political that Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the bill to appease his constituency, and it will be political how and when the Republican leaders choose to hold an override vote.

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SB 50 – Freedom To Carry NC – Passes House

June 11, 2025 by 1 Comment

The permitless concealed carry bill, SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC, has passed the North Carolina House of Representatives and now will be sent to Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) for his consideration. Odds are that Stein will veto the bill.

The vote was 59 aye and 48 nay on the 2nd Reading and it passed the 3rd Reading on a voice vote. Every Democrat and two Republicans voted against the bill. Rep. Ted Davis (R-New Hanover) and Rep. William Brisson (R-Bladen, Sampson) had voted against the bill in House Rules Committee and voted against it today on the floor. 13 representatives were given excused absences today.

I listened to the full debate on the bill in real time. Both sides had their moments and both sides tried to make their points. Much was made about 18 year olds not being responsible enough to carry a firearm. Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort) made an excellent rebuttal to this by noting that it is perfectly legal in North Carolina for an 18 year old to open carry a firearm.

Rep. Brian Echevarria (R-Cabarrus) made a very good speech in favor of the bill. He said a lot of statistics were being pushed in the debate but the one statistic he pointed to was the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms. He said it was 100%. Echevarria who is African-American pointed out that this bill would not have been supported by Jim Crow! It was a great line. Echevarria also pointed to all those forbidden to possess a firearm saying the bill still would not allow them to carry.

The argument made by Rep. Ted Davis (see above) was really weak. His argument was that those who had North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permits had their privacy invaded by having to provide fingerprints and undergo a background check. He contended by allowing permitless concealed carry that it wasn’t fair to those who had undergone the permit process. I have to disagree as holding a permit does provide some advantages that those without a permit will not have. The two main ones are that it substitutes for a NICS background check when making a firearm purchase and that it allows you to carry concealed in a number of other states.

You can watch the full debate in the video below. It starts at the 4:20:25 mark and continues through 5:22:25.

I would like to note that both the NRA-ILA and Grass Roots North Carolina will be scoring this bill. Opposition will be noted and will be reflected in the grades earned by legislators.

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Permitless Concealed Carry Up For Vote In NC

June 11, 2025 by 1 Comment

The North Carolina General Assembly has posted the calendar for the House of Representatives for Wednesday, June 11th. Of note is that SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC – passed out of the House Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee today. It has now been placed on the House Calendar for its Second and Third Readings tomorrow

House CalendarDownload

SB 50 passed the Senate on March 20th. I am unclear if there remain any differences in the bills between the two chambers. If not, then it goes to Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC) who will, in all likelihood, veto the bill.

It is time to light up your representatives in the NC House urging them to pass this bill. The Dems will probably ignore you but it never hurts to put some pressure on them. The Republicans need to be made to understand that anything other than a Yea might cause them to lose their seat.

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NC Legislators: Advance SB50 and HB5 Now!

February 24, 2025 by 2 Comments

With Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Guilford, Rockingham) as a co-sponsor of SB50, permitless concealed carry is on the move in North Carolina. This is a big switch from 2023 when Berger said enough pro-gun bills had been passed.

As the Grass Roots North Carolina alert below makes clear, you can help move these bills along. You may need to change the delimiter between email addresses to fit your own email program’s preferences. This is easy to do in MS Word using find and replace. Additionally, I’d suggest using BCC when mailing to the legislators urging the two bills passage in each chamber’s Rules Committee.

From GRNC:

MAKE CONSTITUTIONAL
CARRY NC LAW
Senate Bill 50 (“Freedom to Carry NC”) and House Bill 5 (“NC Constitutional Carry”) are in the process of becoming NC law. We are so thankful to Sen.Berger and Rep Kidwell for their sponsorship and support in this pursuit.

GRNC has been pivotal in this endeavour as we presented a 7,000-signature petition to Berger in a press conference at his office, and thousands of emails were sent to legislators by GRNC supporters.

Additional sponsors for HB 5 are Reps. Jay Adams (R-Catawba, ****), Ben Moss (R-Moore, Richmond, ****) and freshman Brian Echevarria (R-Cabarrus, ****). Additional sponsors for SB 50 are Sens. Danny Britt (R-Hoke, Robeson, Scotland, GRNC ****), Warren Daniel (R-Buncombe, Burke, McDowell ****), and Eddie Settle (R-Alexander, Surry, Wilkes, Yadkin, ****). Both bills are currently in their respective Rules, Calendar and Operations committees.  
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

IMMEDIATELY CONTACT REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP: Contact both Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker Destin Hall to thank them for their support and urge them to give prompt committee hearings to HB 5 and SB 50. Use the links provided in the previous sentence for their contact information. Call and/or email the two leaders to thank them and to encourage them to advance these bills.  

IMMEDIATELY CONTACT ALL RULES COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS: Both Rules Committees (for House and Senate) need to hear loud and clear that you want a prompt committee hearing for HB 5 and SB 50. See contact information below. 

Please send two messages. Below, find two copy-paste email lists, one for the House and one for the Senate. Below that, find the copy-paste email message. 

DONATE TO GRNC:  We are still low on funds after our highly successful election effort. Please donate by going to: grnc.org/wp/2012/06/donate-to-or-join-grnc/  NC HOUSE Rules Committee (copy-paste email list):

Reece.Pyrtle@ncleg.gov; Blair.Eddins@ncleg.gov; Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov; Charles.Miller@ncleg.gov; Donna.White@ncleg.gov; Erin.Pare@ncleg.gov; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.gov; John.Torbett@ncleg.gov; John.Bell@ncleg.gov; Karl.Gillespie@ncleg.gov; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.gov; Kyle.Hall@ncleg.gov; Neal.Jackson@ncleg.gov; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.gov; Steve.Tyson@ncleg.gov; Ted.Davis@ncleg.gov; Tricia.Cotham@ncleg.gov; William.Brisson@ncleg.gov


NC SENATE Rules Committee (copy-paste email list): 

Amy.Galey@ncleg.gov; Benton.Sawrey@ncleg.gov; Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.gov; Danny.Britt@ncleg.gov; Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.gov; Michael.Lazzara@ncleg.gov; Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.gov; Paul.Newton@ncleg.gov; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov; Todd.Johnson@ncleg.gov; Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov; Vickie.Sawyer@ncleg.gov; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.gov 

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Advance Constitutional Carry Bills HB 5 & SB 50”   Dear Rules Committee Members: 

As a Grass Roots North Carolina member, I thank you for your support and strongly urge you to give a prompt committee hearing to permitless or “constitutional” carry bills HB 5 and SB 50.

Fully 29 states have already adopted constitutional carry, with none of its naysayers’ dire predictions coming true. In fact, the Crime Prevention Research Center finds a small but significant reduction in violent crime among states which adopt permitless carry.

North Carolina Republicans are now lagging their counterparts in other states. Accordingly, I strongly urge you to bring constitutional carry to a prompt committee hearing and floor vote.

I will be monitoring your actions through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,