Another Perspective On The H652 Over-Ride Failure

I have known Dean Weingarten for a number of years now. He is one of the good guys and he does good work. However, sometimes an outsider’s perspective is very different from that of someone closer to the action. Such is the case with the failure to over-ride Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of H652 – Second Amendment Protection Act.

In an Ammoland.com article entitled, “Rogue Republicans and Democrats Join Forces to uphold NC Governor Veto of Gun Reform”, Dean asserts that nine Democrats and five Republicans “changed their vote”.

Yes and no.

You had six members of the House who had excused absences on July 8th – one Democrat and five Republicans. Their absences lowered the threshold for a veto over-ride from 72 to 69. It should be remembered that the North Carolina General Assembly is a part-time job for which members are paid less than $15,000 annually plus per diem. There are going to be conflicts especially when the General Assembly is being called back and again as the session drags on much longer than normal thanks to gubernatorial vetoes and court actions involving redistricting.

On the day that the bill originally passed, June 25th, all six of these House members were present. Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg) voted Nay that day. Republicans Ted Davis (New Hanover), Jeff Elmore (Avery & Wilkes), Donny Lambeth (Forsyth), David Rogers (Burke & Rutherford), and Larry Yarborough (Granville & Person) all voted Aye.

Conversely, on June 25th, Democrats Cecil Brockman (Guilford), Carla Cunningham (Mecklenburg), Susan Fisher (Buncombe), Verla Insko (Orange), and Evelyn Terry (Forsyth) were given execused absences. There were no Republicans absent that day.

H652 passed on June 25th with a total of 77 votes – 65 Republicans and 12 Democrats. It was only a veto-proof majority if, and only if, enough Democrats stuck with their original vote to provide the margin. The Republicans lost their super-majority in both houses of the General Assembly in the 2018 election. They must have Democrats cross over to over-ride any veto. That is the bottom line.

Dean noted that nine Democrats changed their votes. This is in error.

You have the five that were originally absent now voting Nay. you have the excused absence of Rep. Kelly Alexander (D-Mecklenburg) who had voted Nay, and you have six – not four- who originally voted in favor of the bill now voting to sustain the governor’s veto. I did a long post on those six. Dean missed that Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe) and Rep. Marvin Lucas (D-Cumberland) switched their original Aye votes to Nay.

Dean mentions a vote that was 67-47. That vote was merely to call the bill to be voted on in the House. That vote only needed a majority to pass and not the super-majority required for a veto over-ride.

I think it is an error to call the Republicans who had an excused absence “rogue”. Gov. Roy Cooper has issued more vetoes than all the other governors combined since that power was granted to them. In this current session, Cooper has issued 25 vetoes. None, I repeat none, have been overturned. The only thing that would have changed if all of those five had been there is that the number of Democrats voting Aye would have been zero. Some of these Republicans are outstanding on gun rights, a couple just so-so, and all are better than their Democrat opponents in November when it comes to gun rights.

Dean is absolutely correct on two things.

Governors frequently offer rewards and twist arms to have legislators change their vote in veto override attempts.

In these votes, the progressive media favors those in favor of infringing on Second Amendment rights, which gives cover for those who change their votes.

NC Rep. Joe John Responds To Constituents

As I wrote yesterday, NC State Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) was one of six state representatives that changed their vote on H652. The result was that Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D-NC) veto was sustained. The other result is that churches with attached schools remain dangerous gun-free zones with congregants put at risk.

Rep. John sent a form email out to people who had written him asking him to over-ride the veto.

Thank you for your email concerning the veto override vote on H 652. As you probably know, I originally voted for the bill. The balance of interests at that time seemed to favor a “Yes” vote. However, I wanted you to hear from me personally that I have subsequently determined otherwise and voted yesterday to sustain the Governor’s veto.

I take seriously my responsibility to represent all House District 40 constituents, including those whose political party affiliation may not match my own. I recognize that, in this instance, you will be disappointed by my override vote. However, I received numerous communications from educators and parents, also constituents, raising valid concerns which were not fully evident earlier. Supporting our school systems is one of my top priorities and, as such, their concerns persuaded me that sustaining the Governor’s veto was the appropriate course of action.

I respect that your views on this issue were important enough to you to express them to me as your elected Representative. I hope you will continue to do so in the future.

Best regards,

Representative Joe John

H652 never applied to “school systems”. It applied only to non-public schools which were co-located with churches.

The only non-public schools in North Carolina that are part of a “school system” are Catholic schools in the Dioceses of Charlotte and Raleigh. The bill contained a provision (Section 1a.(5)) that clarified that carry was forbidden in any church-school that was posted against carry. Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama of Raleigh and Bishop Peter Jugis of Charlotte have long made clear that carry is not welcome in Catholic churches.

Rep. John is engaging in sophistry. He wants you to think his backing of the governor’s veto was about protecting school children. It was nothing of the kind. It was a political favor owed to the governor and his progressive backers. The people of those congregations impacted be damned.

He must think his constituents are too stupid to be able to read the bill’s clear language. It is so clear that even a judge of long-standing like Joe John could not misconstrue it.

H652 Veto Over-Ride Fails In NC

The over-ride of anti-gun Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D-NC) veto of H652 – Second Amendment Protection Act failed in the House today. Here are the six Democrats who thought allegiance to the governor and Democrat Party was more important than protecting godly people.

In the original passage of the bill on June 25th, these Democrats voted in favor of passage and gave the bill an ostensible veto-proof majority.

Ayes (Democrat)Beasley; Brewer; Farmer-Butterfield; Floyd; Graham; John; Lucas; Pierce; Queen; Russell; B. Turner; Wray

Fast forward to this afternoon, July 8th, and these are the only Democrats who voted in favor of the veto over-ride.

Ayes (Democrat)Brewer; Floyd; Graham; Queen; Russell; Wray

Where there were 12, there are only six. The over-ride failed by a vote of 66-48. It needed 69 votes to pass and over-ride Gov. Cooper’s veto. It has been suggested that the only reason those six even bothered to vote in the affirmative is that they faced tougher re-elections.

Here are the six along with churches in their district that are co-located with schools. Because the state considers this “educational property”, they remain unprotected from the evil and deranged. I won’t name the churches or schools or locations but rest assured that they are within the counties these six represent.

Rep. Chaz Beasley (D-Mecklenburg) represents the 92nd NC House District. It is located in the southern part of Mecklenburg County and abuts the South Carolina border. Rep. Beasley is an attorney and is in his second term.

Rep. Chaz Beasley (D)

Here is a church in his district that he just put at risk because he rather obey the governor and party than to allow people going to church be protected.

Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D-Wilson) is in her 9th term representing the 24th NC House District. She lists her occupation as Consultant, Health and Human Services Professional. More importantly, her husband is US Representative G. K. Butterfield (D-NC-1).

Rep. Jean Farmer-Butterfield (D)

This church and school are located in her district in Wilson County. However, it is not the church she and her husband attend. Then it might have a bit different.

Rep. Joe John (D-Wake) is in his 2nd term of office. He represents the 40th NC House District which is in NW Wake County. Prior to his election to the NC House, he served for many years as a judge on the NC Court of Appeals along with earlier service as a Superior Court judge and an Assistant District Attorney. Sadly, way back in the day, I actually worked the polls for him during one of his judicial elections.

Rep. Joe John (D)

This large church and school are located in Wake County within Rep. John’s district. I guess when you have worked so long in a space where you are always protected by armed guards that you fail to realize that others are not so lucky.

Rep. Marvin Lucas (D-Cumberland) is in his 10th term representing the 42nd NC House District. It adjoins Fort Bragg and includes communities like Spring Lake and the western part of Fayetteville. Lucas is a retired school principal.

Rep. Marvin Lucas (D)

This church and school are located in Cumberland County. It is just one of many that have put at risk by Rep. Lucas’ vote.

Rep. Garland Pierce (D – Hoke & Scotland) is in his 8th term representing the 48th NC House District. Pierce is the House Minority Whip. He is, interestingly enough, a Baptist minister. One would think he, of all people, might realize that churches are at risk.

Rep. Garland Pierce (D)

This church and school are in Rep. Pierce’s district. Obviously, it isn’t Bright Hopewell Baptist Church or he’d be more concerned.

Now we conclude with Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe) who just happens to be my representative. Turner is in his 3rd term representing the 116th NC House District which consists of the southern and western parts of Buncombe County. Turner lists his current job as commercial real estate agent. Prior to that, he was the Executive VP and COO in his family’s military parachute business as well as serving a stint as the Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Corporate and Foundation Relations at UNC-Asheville.

I have had conversations with Turner in the past where he assures me he is pro-gun and has a carry permit. That said, he also believes in universal background checks and voted against doing away with the Jim Crow-era (and racist) pistol purchase permits.

Rep. Brian Turner (D)

Here are a couple of churches that are co-located with schools that his vote has put at risk. The small one is within a mile of my house.

And another larger church with a school here in Buncombe County.

There are many more churches that are now at risk throughout the state of North Carolina thanks to these six and the rest of their Democrat colleagues who voted to uphold the veto. The NC Department of Public Instruction publishes a list of every non-public school in the state by county. That list runs 81 pages. I would say that a majority of these schools are religious and many have attached churches.

Every Democrat – and it was all Democrats – who voted to uphold this veto should be ashamed of him or herself. The bill was explicit that firearms were not allowed on the church-school property during regular and extracurricular school hours. At a time when churches have increasingly become targets for the evil and deranged, they need to be able to protect their congregants and this bill would have allowed them to take that responsibility if they wished.

If I were the pastor of one of the churches impacted by this veto, I’d gather up my congregation and have a prayer vigil in the front of every one of these 48 Democrat state representatives’ homes. I would do it weekly and I would get the media involved. They need to understand that shame is a very powerful weapon.

H652 Over-Ride Vote Wednesday

The vote to over-ride Gov. Roy Cooper’s (D-NC) veto of H652 – Second Amendment Protection Act is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8th.

The bill passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly with bi-partisan veto-proof majorities. That is, if the Democrats who voted for the H652 don’t cave to pressure from Gov. Cooper and his anti-gun allies such as the Bloomberg-funded North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (sic).

Looking over the list of Democrats who voted for the bill, you find a majority of them, whether African-American or white, represent areas that are mostly rural. Those areas have many small churches and they invariably have smaller police or sheriff’s departments. I think they realized that this bill contained nothing to endanger students and teachers but rather would help churches protect their congregations from the deranged.

Grass Roots North Carolina has issued an alert asking that these swing voters be contacted. I have added it below:

CONTACT SWING VOTERS NOW, CHURCH CARRY VETO OVERRIDE VOTE IS ON WEDNESDAY
Cooper has never met a gun that he wouldn’t ban. In vetoing a bill that would protect churches from violent sociopaths, as has so far occurred at least three times in other states, Cooper has yet again demonstrated that he is not fit to hold the office of governor.
 
Both the Senate and the House passed the Second Amendment Protection Act
with a veto-proof majority, but Governor Cooper vetoed it anyway.  In his explanation, he stated “This bill allows guns on school property which threatens the safety of students and teachers. Therefore, I veto the bill.”
 
The Governor’s argument makes little sense.  Remember, this bill would allow concealed handgun permit-holders to carry firearms for self-protection in religious institutions which are co-located with educational facilities, provided that: (1) No curricular or extracurricular educational activities are taking place (meaning that no students or teachers are present); and (2) The person in control of the property has not posted a “no guns allowed” sign.
 
We thank the 33 Senators and 77 Representatives who voted “yes” on this bill the first time around, and now we ask these same Senators and Representatives to HOLD STRONG and reiterate their votes during the veto override vote scheduled for Wednesday, July 8.
 
How can you help?  By calling and emailing your Senator and Representative and reminding them that this bill was a good idea the first time they voted for it, and it is still a good idea and you expect them to support it again! 
 
Although no law prohibits concealed carry in religious institutions, those which operate a school are considered to be “educational property,” even when no school is currently operated. As such, concealed firearms are currently prohibited.
 
Recent years have seen no fewer than three cases in which armed parishioners were able to stop murderous rampages by violent sociopaths: 
Colorado Springs, Colorado (12/9/07): Armed church volunteer security member Jeanne Assam shot and wounded rampage killer John Murray, who then committed suicide.
Sutherland Springs, TX: (11/5/17): Armed citizen Stephen Willeford used an AR-15 to exchange fire with murderer Devin Patrick Kelly, wounding him and stopping the rampage.
White Settlement, TX (12/29/19): At the West Freeway Church of Christ, volunteer church security member Jack Wilson stopped rampage killer Keith Thomas Kinnunen seconds after the killing started with a single shot to the head.
The 2nd Amendment Protection Act would: Specifically tailor existing law to allow all churches and places of religious worship to provide for the safety of their congregants.

Protect their congregants by adding a section into existing gun laws that says if a person is legally permitted to carry a concealed handgun, that person can carry a handgun on the property of a church or other place of religious worship provided: (1) No curricular or extracurricular educational activities are taking place; and (2) The person in control of the property has not posted a “no guns allowed” sign.
  Allow all places of religious worship, whether or not they run a school, to offer the same level of protection to congregants.
  Sheriffs will have to issue CHP renewals without retraining if applied for within 60 days of expiration

A refresher course will be available for those who renew 180 days out

EMS personnel, after training, will be allowed to carry

Additional “special” law enforcement employed personnel will be allowed to carry This is not a new concept. Not only has it been offered in previous sessions of the General Assembly, it mirrors what has been in effect for most churches in the state since concealed carry was passed in 1995.  The 2nd Amendment Protection Act will close the loophole that treats some worshippers differently than others and ensure that all can worship safely and freely.
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
Those of us who live in the real world know that mass murderers bent on evil won’t be stopped by silly rules or signs.
This is why you must urge your Senator and Representative to continue to support this life saving legislation.  EMAIL THE SWING VOTERS: Tell them that we need them to reiterate their support for this important piece of legislation for the Safety and security of all North Carolinians.
 
The shootings at New Life Church, First Baptist Church, and West Freeway Church of Christ prove that only a good guy or gal with a gun can stop those bent on pure evil.  Liberty free [gun free] zones only disarm the innocent when seconds count and law enforcement is minutes away.
CONTACT YOUR STATE HOUSE AND SENATE REPRESENTATIVES: Urge them to reiterate their support for this important piece of legislation that will ensure our safety.
PHONE MESSAGE:

My name is ______ and I’m calling to urge you to reaffirm your support for the 2nd Amendment Protection Act, expanding our common sense human right of self-defense in places of worship co-located with educational facilities.  The recent past has shown that mere signs or rules will not stop evil men bent on mass murder.
Armed citizens are the only way to ensure our safety in these situations.  I expect you to live up to your principles and I urge you to support this critical piece of legislation. CONTACT INFO   Swing Voters:
  Chaz.Beasley@ncleg.net; Scott.Brewer@ncleg.net; Jean.Farmer-Butterfield@ncleg.net; Elmer.Floyd@ncleg.net; Charles.Graham@ncleg.net; Joe.John@ncleg.net; Marvin.Lucas@ncleg.net; Garland.Pierce@ncleg.net; Joe.Queen@ncleg.net; Ray.Russell@ncleg.net; Brian.Turner@ncleg.net; Michael.Wray@ncleg.net; Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.net; Don.Davis@ncleg.net; Kirk.deViere@ncleg.net; Harper.Peterson@ncleg.net; EricaD.Smith@ncleg.net  

Phone Your Rep:
  Phone your own Representative: CLICK HERE and use your address to find your representative and his/her contact information. Click on the ‘NC House’ radio button. 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.  
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject:  Support the 2nd Amendment Protection Act   Dear Senator/Representative,   I’m writing to urge you to reaffirm your support for the 2nd Amendment Protection Act.  This will expand the ability for ordinary citizens to carry firearms for self-protection in places of worship which are co-located with educational facilities.
Recent tragedies have shown that a good guy or gal with a gun can be critical in saving lives.   This is true common-sense safety legislation that will protect the public.
Mere signs or rules never deter those of evil intent and mass murder.  These only serve to stop innocent people from ensuring everyone else’s safety. 
I expect you to stand up for everyone’s common sense human rights and support this important step in safety once again. I will continue to monitor your actions on this important issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.    Respectfully,  

Cooper Vetoes H652 – Second Amendment Protection Act

In what should not be a surprise, anti-gun Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) vetoed H652 – Second Amendment Protection Act.

In his veto message he said:

Governor Cooper shared the following statement on HB 652:

“This bill allows guns on school property, which threatens the safety of students and teachers.”

This is utter bullshit.

Section 1 (a) of the bill explicitly states that guns may not be present during school hours.

The handgun is only possessed and carried on educational property outside of the nonpublic school’s operating hours. A nonpublic school’s operating hours are any time when curricular or extracurricular activities are taking place on the premises and any time when the premises are being used for school-sponsored activities.

Moreover, it only applies to non-public schools which also are used for church services. These are typically small Christian schools co-located with a church. During the week the Sunday School rooms are used for the school and on Sunday for church services.

An earlier post detailed the other parts of the bill which included reasonable accommodations for renewing your NC Concealed Handgun Permit and to protect EMTs who are backing up police tactical teams.

The bill passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support. Indeed, if the Democrats who supported the bill initially don’t get cold feet, the veto can be overriden.

If your representative or senator voted for it, then I would be calling them now and asking them to support an override.

The house roll call is here and the senate roll call can be found here. Remember every one of them is up for re-election.

HB652, Second Amendment Protection Act, Passes NC General Assembly

HB 652, the Second Amendment Protection Act, has passed both houses of the North Carolina General Assembly and now goes to the governor for his signature (or veto). The bill was passed with bipartisan support. The vote was 33-14 in the Senate and 77-38 in the House.

The bill would:

  • Allow concealed carry in churches that are also deemed educational property. Person must have NC CHP, it can only be a handgun, it can’t be during school hours, and the church must not be posted against carry. This only applies to private school property.
  • A lapse in a carry permit that is no more than 60 days would not require a person to retake another safety and training class
  • A lapse in a carry permit that is over 60 days and under 180 days would only require a refresher course on carry laws and not a new class
  • Expands the scope of permitted areas of carry in law enforcement facilities for non-sworn officers who have been so designated
  • Allows EMTs to carry concealed if providing tactical medical assistance to law enforcement in emergency situations such as the deployment of a SWAT team. EMTs would be required to have additional training to qualify.

Grass Roots North Carolina is asking that people contact the Governor’s Office and urge Gov. Cooper (D-NC) to sign the bill. The bill did pass with veto proof majorities providing all the Democrats who voted aye maintain their votes.

They ask you to send the following to the Governor’s Email Contact.

Dear Governor Cooper,

I’m writing to urge you to sign the 2nd Amendment Protection Act.  This will expand the ability for ordinary citizens to carry firearms for self-protection in churches which are co-located with educational facilities, provided the property is not controlled by a board of education.

Recent tragedies have shown that a good guy or gal with a gun can be critical in saving lives.   This is true common-sense safety legislation that will protect the public.

Mere signs or rules never deter those of evil intent and mass murder.  These only serve to stop innocent people from ensuring everyone else’s safety.

I expect you to stand up for everyone’s common sense human rights and support this important step in safety. I will continue to monitor your actions on this important issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully,

It took me 30 seconds or less to do the above. Most of the time was spent filling out my name and contact info.

As you might expect, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (sic) opposed the bill and wants people to be like sheep led to slaughter. They are asserting it will put school children at risk never minding the actual language of the bill.