Restaurant Carry In North Carolina

North Carolina HB 17 went before the House Judiciary A Committee yesterday. That bill would provide for the confidentiality of pistol purchase permit and concealed handgun permit data. It would have also legalized concealed carry by non-drinking patrons in restaurants and eating establishments. The Judiciary A Committee saw fit to pass a substitute amendment which dropped restaurant carry. Word coming to Grass Roots North Carolina is that this change was at the behest of Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg) who may have higher aspirations in 2014.

GRNC is asking that people contact both Speaker Tillis and their own representative to ask that restaurant carry be restored to HB 17.

Restaurant carry is down but not out …

The North Carolina House Judiciary A Subcommittee today stripped restaurant carry out of House Bill 17, leaving only the language which would remove concealed handgun and handgun purchase permits from public record, before passing the bill out of committee. What remains now moves to the floor.

Both bill sponsor Representative Justin Burr (R-Montgomery, Stanly, GRNC ****) and Judiciary subcommittee chair Rep. John Blust (R-Guilford, ****) made it clear that the Proposed Committee Substitute used for the deed was not of their making, but rather from “higher up” — the “higher up” in question being Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Mecklenburg, ****) himself. Said Tillis by email: “We have delivered legislation to the Senate [in the last session] and we look forward to the Senate responding in kind this session.”

While Tillis is correct in noting that during the 2011-2012 session, the House under his leadership passed HB 111 for restaurant carry, only to have it stalled by Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger (R-Guilford, Rockingham, ****), numerous House members have complained about the lack of movement in potentially contentious legislation, further speculating it may be related to Tillis’ aspirations to the U.S. Senate.

Representatives from Tillis’ office deny this, of course, noting they have already moved contentious legislation and allowing that they might move restaurant carry if either the Senate says they too will act on the bill, or if it is received from the Senate. Below you will see our recommendation that you contact both your House representative and Speaker Tillis to tell them to move restaurant carry, but please understand the Speaker has not dismissed the idea, so do not treat him as an opponent (yet).

SB 342: “Amend Gun Laws”

Meanwhile, restaurant carry lives in the Senate. Introduced by Judiciary Co-Chair Senator Buck Newton (R-, Johnston, Nash, Wilson, ****) and sponsored Dan Soucek; and Jeff Tarte; (primary) and Tom Apodaca; Andrew C. Brock; Warren Daniel; Ronald J. Rabin; and Shirley B. Randleman (cosponsors), the bill encompasses not only the restaurant carry language drafted by GRNC and Rep. Mark Hilton in the last session, but also a “cleanup” of the parks carry language currently being tortured by municipalities to ban guns in whole parks. Given that the Senate stalled restaurant carry in HB 111 last year, the fact that Judiciary Co-Chair Newton and Rules Chair Tom Apodaca have signed on as sponsors bodes well for the bill. See below for recommendations on action.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

NC House:

  • Contact Speaker Thom Tillis at 919-733-3451 and Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net. Once again, Tillis is not yet a lost cause, so BE POLITE.

  • Contact your NC House representative: Tell them to contact Speaker Tillis and remind him that gun owners help put him in his position for the purpose of LEADING on this issue. Have them ask him to return restaurant carry to HB 17. To find your House rep, CLICK HERE or go to: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx Once there enter your address into the text box for NC House.


NC Senate:


DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

NC House:

Dear Speaker Tillis:

While I appreciate that the North Carolina House, under your leadership, moved House Bill 111 for restaurant carry in the previous session, only to see it die in the Senate, I also expect you to realize that gun owners played a huge role in making North Carolina the only battleground state to repel the Obama political machine and elect conservative, pro-gun leaders.

We elected you to lead; now we expect you to deliver. Now is not the time to dither about which chamber should be the first to move what is a top priority for North Carolina gun voters, but instead to lead decisively and by example. That means returning restaurant carry to House Bill 17.

I will spare you the facts about concealed handgun permit-holders being model law-abiding citizens: You already know them. Instead, my message is this: Please move restaurant carry.

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

Permit Confidentiality And Restaurant Carry Set For NC House Hearings

HB 17, the Gun Permits/Restaurants and Confidentiality, comes before the North Carolina House’s Judiciary A Committee on Wednesday for hearings. Both parts of this bill – confidentiality and restaurant carry – are important. Grass Roots North Carolina has heard a rumor that the committee might strip out the restaurant carry provisions. Restaurant carry passed the House in the previous session of the General Assembly but died in the Senate for lack of a floor vote.

From GRNC:


Ensure that restaurant carry survives!

This critical pro-feedom legislation will solve two significant problems facing North Carolina gun owners: (1) Not being able to defend ourselves and our families in restaurants that serve alcohol, and (2) Being subject to the release of personal information by hostile media, as was done previously in both NC and NY.

HB-17 is currently residing within House Judiciary Subcommittee A. It is scheduled to be heard this Wednesday. Rumors suggest there are efforts to strip out restaurant carry provisions. We must MAKE SURE this DOES NOT HAPPEN!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

  • Quickly Email Republican Members of Judiciary Committee A. Tell them to oppose all efforts to weaken the bill by eliminating the restaurant carry provisions.

  • Plan to Attend the Judiciary Meeting. Show your Representatives in person that you strongly support restaurant carry and that you strongly oppose the release of personal information about concealed carry permit holders!

CONTACT INFORMATION

Copy and paste email addresses for House Judiciary Committee A: John.Blust@ncleg.net, Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net, Dean.Arp@ncleg.net, Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net, Justin.Burr@ncleg.net, Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net, Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net, Julia.Howard@ncleg.net, Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net, Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net

To attend the Judiciary Committee A meeting, follow these directions on GRNC.org: http://grnc.org/directions-to-the-general-assembly

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Dear Member of Judiciary Committee A:

HB-17, “Gun Permits/Restaurants & Confidentiality” is a critical piece of pro-freedom legislation that will expand the area in our state where law-abiding citizens can effectively protect themselves and their families.

By preventing the release of personal information, HB-17 will also protect law-abiding holders of concealed carry permits from unconscionable attacks by hostile media. As you may know, in other states the release of this type of sensitive personal information has resulted in law-abiding gun owners being targeted by criminals.

I expect you to support this important bill entirely, without any weakening amendments. Efforts to strip out any element related to restaurant carry are unacceptable.

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

Respectfully,

GRNC – Stop Release Of Permit Info

Grass Roots North Carolina sent out an alert this evening urging North Carolinians to write their State Representative and State Senator urging them to support SB 28 and HB 17. A number of sheriffs in the state are now refusing to release this data on public safety grounds. These bills, if passed, will make CHP and pistol purchase permit data private and not subject to the state’s version of the Freedom of Information Act.


Several NC Sheriffs refuse to give sensitive information…

According to a recent article in the “The Charlotte Observer,” several of North Carolina’s 100 Sheriffs are standing up for your rights by not releasing sensitive information associated with Concealed Handgun Permits which they feel is a breach of privacy and beyond the scope of what is required by laws covered under the Freedom of Information Act.

Citing safety concerns, some have refused requests based on concerns over the identities of victims of domestic violence who still may be in danger, as well as dangers many gun owners would face if the information was made public. Sheriff Alan Cloninger of Gaston County has sent a letter to CHP holders within his jurisdiction explaining his reasoning for not releasing private information, again citing safety concerns. North Carolina Sheriffs, along with many other law enforcement agencies are realizing that the release of such information is not only dangerous but a serious breach of public safety and privacy.

Legislative attempts to stop the pressure

Currently, there are two bills in the North Carolina General Assembly that address this important issue that you need to be aware of: SB 28 and HB 17.

SB 28: “Gun Permit Information/No Publication”(Bingham). Removes concealed handgun permit and handgun purchase permit records from public record, preventing abuses of the information by media outlets such as those by the “Journal News,” WRAL-TV and “The New York Times.” GRNC supports the bill.

HB 17: “Gun Permits/Restaurants & Confidentiality” (Burr, Hager, Hollo, Bell). The restaurant carry language of the bill is identical to what GRNC drafted in HB 111, which failed to pass the Senate last year. The second section removes handgun purchase permit and concealed handgun permit information from public record. GRNC supports the bill.

Your voice must be heard

If left to their own discretion, politicians will cater to the loudest voices. These two Bills are important safeguards against the abuse of sensitive information. Your information should never be used as a way to sensationalize news organizations’ efforts to gain ratings as they have so many times before. They don’t care about your safety, they care about their own ratings. Your State Senators and Representatives need to know that you are watching these Bills closely, and that they have your support.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Contact your NC State Senator and tell them to support SB 28
Contact NC State House representative and tell them to support HB 17
Support GRNC: GRNC needs your support to help combat the efforts against your rights as gun owners. Join or renew your membership! http://www.grnc.org/join-grnc/join-grnc-online
SIGN THE “STOP THE GUN BAN” PETITION: Go to: www.StopTheGunBan.org Whether or not you have already signed it, forward this to others and tell them to sign it too.

CONTACT INFO

Find your reps by going to: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Stop Release Of Permit Holder Info”

Dear : Senator or Representative,

I am alarmed at the number of requests by news organizations and others for information about me. As a resident of your district and a concerned gun owner, I find it appalling that news outlets would try to use personal and private information about me to liven up their stories in the hopes of creating a fear-driven ratings boost for them.

Two bills currently active in the North Carolina General Assembly will make information about my status as a Concealed Handgun Permit holder closed to the public eye. I urge you to support and vote for SB28 and HB17 when they come to the floor. The information that news organizations, not to mention anti-gun activists, can and will be used on a wide basis, will not only put my life in danger, but also the lives of my family members.

I cannot stand by and allow this kind of information to become public for all those who happen to ask for it. I will monitor your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

On Keeping Gun Permit/CHP Data Private In North Carolina

There are currently two bills before the North Carolina General Assembly that would keeping pistol purchase permit and Concealed Handgun Permit data private. They are HB 17 which deals with confidentiality and restaurant carry and SB 28 which deals strictly with confidentiality.

Two weeks ago, the Senate Judiciary II Committee held hearings on SB 28. This bill is strongly supported by both gun rights groups such as Grass Roots North Carolina and the NC Sheriffs Association. On the other side is the NC Press Association which wants to keep this data as a public record and accessible through freedom of information requests.

Below is a report on the hearing from the NCSA Weekly Legislative Report dated February 22nd.


Gun Permit Records

The Senate Judiciary II Committee had a lively deba
te this week but didn
‘t vote on a bill that
would exempt pistol purchase permits, concealed
carry permits, and pistol sales records from
disclosure under the public records law. Under Senate Bill 28, the information would be available
only upon request of law enforcement
agencies or by court order, while exempting it from the Public
Records Act. The legislation wouldn’t apply to
long guns and other rifles because those weapons
don’t require purchase permits.

The bill sponsor, Senator Stan Bingham, said th
e measure was aimed at reducing gun thefts.
He argued that criminals may target homes wher
e they know there are guns for the taking. Gregg
Stahl, Director of Government Relations for the
N.C. Sheriffs’ Association, told the legislative
committee that sheriffs across the state have also
heard from residents w
ho don’t own guns who fear
they would be targeted for thefts
as well. “The list of gun owners
also tells us where there are no
guns,” Stahl said.

Opponents argued that they had seen no data to suggest that criminals are using public
information about gun ownership to help commit crimes. John Bussian, a lobbyist for the N.C. Press
Association, told the committee that he was opposing “yet another government records secrecy bill.”
Some of the best media reporting across the count
ry on the flow of arms, he said, has been done
using the types of records that the bill would exempt from the Public Records Act.

But others, including lobbyists for the N.C. Ri
fle and Pistol Association and the N.C.
Firearms Dealers Group, supported the bill. Michael
Mann of the Rifle and Pi
stol Association said he believed there was “no legitimate reason” for anyone to have access to detailed information about
gun owners. Professional burglars, he said, look for items they can steal and dispose of quickly,
such as cash, jewelry and guns.

The Charlotte Observer has noticed this fight. They published a long article on it along with an editorial opposing this bill.  I will have more on that in a later post.

As to the pistol purchase permits themselves, I’d like to see them eliminated. They are a relic of Jim Crow laws in North Carolina. The permit was instituted in 1919 and was a way to allow racist sheriffs to keep handguns out of the hands of blacks.