HB 562

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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

Irony

June 13, 2015 by 1 Comment

Huff Post College ran a story this week about the move to rename university buildings that had been named for ardent segregationists and racists.

Two weeks ago, the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that Saunders Hall — named for William Saunders, a 19th-century North Carolina secretary of state and chief Ku Klux Klan organizer — would be renamed Carolina Hall.

This wasn’t enough for many activists who have been fighting to remove Saunders’ name. The same day, the board also announced a 16-year freeze on naming other buildings — meaning that Aycock Residence Hall, named for white supremacist and former North Carolina Governor Charles Aycock, will remain as it is until at least 2031.

Aycock Residence is just one of many college buildings named for American historical figures who were known to have an active role in perpetuating systemic racism. At some schools, students, professors and community members have been fighting to remove these names, in some cases coming up against strong administrative opposition. At other schools, the names remain uncontested.

There is also a move to rename Tillman Hall at both Clemson and Winthrop Universities in South Carolina. Sen. Ben “Pitchfork” Tillman (D-SC) was an active participant as an orator

If find it ironic that many of the same people that want to remove the names of these building are the same people who are fighting the hardest against HB 562. That bill would do away with North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit system (among other things). While the white supremacist movement got its start in North Carolina through the machinations of Furnifold Simmons, his lieutenants included the above named Charles Aycock, Angus McLean, and Cameron Morrison. These three all have university buildings named for them at UNC-CH.

I guess it is one thing to take the name of a white supremacist off a university building but a wholly different thing to repeal a law enacted by white supremacists to keep African-Americans unarmed if it suits the aims of modern day gun prohibitionists. Ironic, isn’t it?

Uncategorized

GRNC Reports HB 562 May Be Weakened On The Floor (UPDATE)

June 8, 2015 by

As I reported earlier, HB 562 is scheduled to be debated on the floor of the NC House of Representatives this evening. Grass Roots North Carolina sent out an alert late yesterday saying that Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph) intends to offer a floor amendment that would remove the phased-in elimination of pistol purchase permits from the bill. As I read their alert, Rep. McNeill was one of the people responsible for the phase-in of the elimination as opposed to an outright elimination of it.

They are requesting people email and call the House Republicans to remind them just which group helped them get their super-majority. If the Republicans who are supposed to be our friends are so willing to sell us down the river, how could we do any worse with Democrats? At least then, instead of being stabbed in the back, it would be a face to face fight where you knew what was coming at you.

Paul Iadonisi at Arms are the Mark of a Freeman has been doing some research into prosecutions for selling a pistol in a private sale without a pistol purchase permit. He has not been able to find a single prosecution for selling a pistol without the permit.

But what was interesting is that, through a few phone calls to DAs and court clerks, it’s been discovered that selling a pistol in a private sale without a PPP (or a Concealed Handgun Permit, which suffices according to statute as well) isn’t something that is ever used in any prosecution. I.e.: it is never enforced and is likely ignored by most private sellers and buyers.

Technically, the seller is not even required to take possession of the PPP or ask to see the CHP. And even if you do, you can put it in the circular file or shred it and not be in violation of the law. And the way the law is written, even an FFL dealer is not required to take possession of the PPP, though you’d be hard pressed to find one that wouldn’t. Both the CHP and PPP are good for five years. And therein lies the problem for our sheriffs: they can issue a PPP and a year later, the recipient could commit a crime that makes him ‘prohibited person’. Yet he can go buy a gun without a background check *at an FFL*, because the NICS check was already done. There is a mechanism for the CHP to be revoked, but not the PPP.

One of the arguments that I heard from a gun owner was that he wanted to know the person to whom he was selling a handgun was not a criminal or someone who would misuse it. I think it is called commonsense. If you don’t know the person and you don’t have a good feeling about that person, then don’t sell it to them. It’s that simple.

UPDATE: Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg), the principal sponsor of HB 562, made a motion at approximately 7:20pm to have the bill removed back to the Rules Committee. She said there were still a lot of amendments and too many pieces still in motion.

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If You Don’t Have Grassroots, You Have To Buy Ads

June 7, 2015 by 2 Comments

Gabby Giffords and her Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) have reportedly made a six-figure media buy for ads against HB 562. According to the Charlotte Observer, the ads are supposed to start running today. They feature former Wilson County Sheriff Wayne Gay.

“As a sheriff for 28 years, I fought to keep our communities safe,” Gay says in the new ad. “But right now, some in the legislature want to repeal background checks on handguns. This will make it easier for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns. … Tell the folks in Raleigh we need to keep background checks.”

The ad seen below parrots the misleading stats pushed by anti-gun Prof. Daniel Webster of Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health.

So now Gabby and her husband Mark Kelly (aka the Space Cowboy) feel the need to insert themselves into North Carolina politics just like Michael Bloomberg. I guess when you don’t really have grass roots and paid members, you have to resort to throwing money around for TV advertising.

As to former Sheriff Gay and those sheriffs who oppose HB 562, it is about power, control, and money. They don’t want to give up any power or control nor the money generated by pistol purchase permits. It never was about crime prevention when enacted and it isn’t about crime prevention now.

Uncategorized

HB 562 Scheduled For House Floor On Monday Evening

June 7, 2015 by

HB 562 – the Second Amendment Affirmation Act – has finally been calendared for a vote by the whole North Carolina House of Representatives. The House convenes at 7pm on Monday and it is the first public bill on the calendar.

Grass Roots North Carolina is asking the bill’s supporters to contact the Gang of Three, House Republicans, and Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC). Their alert is below. I would add that you should contact your own representative, Democrat or Republican, and express your support for the bill along with the elimination of the pistol purchase permit system. Even though many Democrats in the NC House have trended anti-gun, there are many who haven’t. You might be surprised by the result.

HB 562 barely clears committee as 3 Republicans vote to kill it: Bill on calendar for floor vote Monday night!
  
Thanks to the leadership of Speaker TIM MOORE (R-Cleveland, GRNC ****) and Rules Chair DAVID LEWIS (R-Harnett, ****), House Bill 562 passed in committee on Wednesday, and heads to the floor for a vote on Monday night. That does not mean the bill is out of danger. In fact, even if the bill survives a floor vote, numerous REPUBLICANS will try to gut it by amending it to remove the purchase permit repeal and what little is left of the medical privacy language.
Republicans could sink HB 562
The bill cleared committee only after Rules Chairman Lewis voted to break a 13-13 tie – a tie which resulted only because Republicans LEO DAUGHTRY (R-Johnston), TED DAVIS (R-New Hanover) and JOHN FRALEY (R-Iredell) voted to kill the bill. We will henceforth refer to these RINOs as “The Gang of 3” and count on you to make an example of them.
Worse, there is significant opposition in the Republican caucus to the purchase permit repeal, with many Republicans listening to sheriffs who cling to the power to deny handgun purchases by anybody they arbitrarily decide is not of “good moral character.” Make no mistake: Some complain about the quality of data in the National Instant Check System, but this is all about power.
Thirteen citizens and representatives addressed the committee, with Michael Bloomberg’s “Moms” in large attendance. GRNC president Paul Valone and legislative director Jeff Rau both made comments widely carried by state and national media.

Heroes of the day
In addition to Speaker Moore and Chairman Lewis, thanks are due to Reps. JUSTIN BURR, JACQUELINE SCHAFFER, GEORGE CLEVELAND and JAY ADAMS, who spoke eloquently to defend the bill. In particular, Burr called NC Sheriffs’ Association representative Doug Miskew to the microphone to ask whether the association, which opposes the purchase permit repeal, had actually polled its members on the issue. Miskew’s answer was a dodge: “The sheriffs’ association opposes the repeal of the purchase permit law.”

Will McCrory join the gang?
Potentially joining “The Gang of Three,” a representative for Governor PAT McCRORY testified that the governor “opposes” the bill. One should note, however, that he stopped short of saying the governor would VETO the bill, unlike 2013 when the purchase permit was last considered. You need to deliver McCrory a message that the 2016 gubernatorial election is fast approaching, and he will not get your vote if he vetoes HB 562!
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
 
Vote is MONDAY: Act now!

· CONTACT NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS: Use the copy-and-paste list and message below to deliver a clear message that you sent them to Raleigh, and you can remove them if they vote against your interests.
 
· DELIVER A MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR McCRORY: Call him at (919) 814-2000 or use the copy/paste text under ‘Deliver This Message,’ and the web form you’ll find here(Or go to: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat). You can also send him a Tweet: .@GrassRootsNC supporters: Will Gov @PatMcCroryNC live up to Conservative credentials & support #HB562, or will he join the anti-gun ‘Gang of Three?’
 
· LEAVE VOICEMAIL FOR ‘THE GANG OF THREE’: Politely let them know that they and others who “forget who ‘brung ‘em to the dance” by voting to kill or weaken HB 562 could face primaries in 2016.
CONTACT INFO
Contact Gov. McCrory: CALL at (919) 814-2000, email using the form HERE: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat
Contact ‘Gang of Three’:
Ted Davis (R-New Hanover)
919-733-5786
ted.davis@ncleg.net
N. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston)
919-733-5605
Leave a Facebook message HERE: https://www.facebook.com/pages/N-Leo-Daughtry/113801471963883?fref=ts
John Fraley (R-Iredell)
919-733-5741
john.fraley@ncleg.net
Contact House Republicans via copy/paste email list:
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; 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; 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; 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
For House Republicans, suggested Subject: “Support HB562: Don’t sell out NC gun owners”
Dear Representative:
I am very disappointed that after working hard to give pro-freedom representatives control of the North Carolina Assembly that some have returned the favor by attacking Second Amendment rights.
Have Republicans forgotten who got them elected?
Particularly disappointing are actions of three republicans; Ted Davis, Leo Daughtry and John Fraley who almost killed HB562, the Second Amendment Affirmation Act. They appear to be listening to the handful of Sheriffs who control the North Carolina Sheriff’s Association (NCSA). Do these few politically-active Sheriffs really represent our 100 counties? Note that NCSA representatives dodged when asked if Sheriffs had been polled on the issue.   
This ‘Gang of Three’ have betrayed their constituents and are now paying a heavy price for their sell-out of the rights of North Carolinians. Do not risk sharing their fate.
Sincerely,
For Gov. McCrory, suggested Subject: “Support HB562: Don’t sell out NC gun owners”

Dear Governor:
I am terribly disappointed to hear that you oppose HB562. I am writing to insist that you rethink your opposition to this pro-Second Amendment bill, and by doing so, live up to the Conservative credentials you had advertised on the campaign trail.
HB562 would prevent health care providers from unreasonably snooping on their patients, and expand concealed carry so that law-abiding permit holders can better protect their families. Perhaps most importantly, HB562 would put an end to the Jim Crow-era Pistol Purchase Permit system (PPP). The PPP system is a disconcerting heirloom, and it would be quite appropriate for a Republican governor to officially sign away this remnant of an embarrassing era.
If you are determined to work against the law-abiding gun owners of North Carolina by opposing HB562, I cannot imagine voting for you in the future. Conversely, I would be pleased to support a primary opponent, one who pledges to stand for the Bill of Rights, and someone who can be counted on to act on those pledges once in office.
I must insist that you live up to your campaign pledges to stand for gun rights, and support HB562. Failure to do so will certainly have political consequences. I will continue to monitor this issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.
Respectfully,
Uncategorized

And They Call Themselves Friends Of Gun Owners…

June 4, 2015 by 2 Comments

As Matt Caulder of the NC Capitol Connection reports, HB 562 just barely squeaked through the House Rules Committee.

A vote in the House Rules Committee came down to a tie Wednesday morning after nearly two hours of debate and comment on an omnibus gun rights bill set to advance freedoms for legal firearm owners while cracking down on criminal possession of firearms.

The 13-13 tie was broken by Committee Chairman David Lewis (R-Harnett) in favor of the bill, which will now head to the House floor for debate.

A vote is expected on the bill Thursday on the House floor.

He goes on to report that the testimony was evenly split between those in favor of the bill and those opposed. In an email to me, he said there were representatives from Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors, the Brady affiliate NC Against Gun Violence (sic), the NC Sheriffs Association, and the NC School Boards Association who spoke against the bill In addition, there were some individuals who didn’t represent groups but did claim membership in NCAGV.

Matt was kind enough to send me the breakdown of the vote in the committee by member. What should have been an easy win was made more difficult due to some Republicans. I expected “nay” votes from the Democrats. What I didn’t expect was for Republicans Leo Daughtry, Ted Davis, and John Fraley to spit on gun owners like they did. Gun owners did yeoman’s work in providing the Republicans their super-majority in both houses of the General Assembly. We didn’t vote for them to go all wobbly when the Demanding Mommies and the Sheriffs Association said “boo.”

The vote breakdown is below:

Committee Leadership
Rep. Lewis (R-Harnett) – aye, tie breaker
Rep. Torbett (R-Gaston) – aye
Rep. Stam (R-Wake) – aye

Rep. Davis (R-New Hanover) – nay
Rep. Daughtry (R-Johnston) – nay

Committee Members
Rep. J. Bell (R-Wayne) – aye
Rep. Blust (R-Guilford) – aye
Rep. Boles (R-Moore) – aye
Rep. Bumgardner (R-Gaston) – aye
Rep. Burr (R-Stanly) – aye
Rep. Carney (D-Mecklenburg) – nay
Rep. Cotham (D-Mecklenburg) – nay
Rep. Floyd (D-Cumberland) – nay

Rep. Fraley (R-Iredell) – nay
Rep. Goodman (D-Hoke) – nay
Rep. L. Hall (D-Durham) – nay
Rep. Hanes (D-Forsyth) – nay
Rep. Hastings (R-Gaston) – aye
Rep. Jackson (D-Wake) – nay
Rep. L. Johnson (R-Cabarrus) – aye
Rep. Reives (D-Chatham) – nay
Rep. Robinson (R-Caldwell) – aye
Rep. Saine (R-Saine) – aye
Rep. Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg) – aye
Rep. Szoka (R-Cumberland) – aye
Rep. Tine (U-Beaufort) – nay
Rep. Wray (D-Halifax) – nay

What makes this worse is that all three Republicans serve in some leadership capacity. Davis and Daughtry are vice-chairs of the Rules Committee and Fraley is the Majority Freshman Leader. If I were one of their constituents, I’d be giving them a piece of my mind. Their contact info is below.

Ted Davis (R-New Hanover)
919-733-5786
ted.davis@ncleg.net

N. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston)
919-733-5605
leo.daughtry@ncleg.net

John Fraley (R-Iredell)
919-733-5741
john.fraley@ncleg.net

I wish the House Republicans including those above were less concerned with same-sex marriage and waiting periods for abortions and more with facilitating an enumerated Constitution right.

UPDATE:  Checking the NRA’s Political Victory Fund site for 2014, I find that Davis, Daughtry, and Fraley were all endorsed by the NRA. Davis and Daughtry were rated A and Fraley, as a non-incumbent, was rated AQ.  Davis and Daughtry were also rated as 4-star by GRNC while Fraley got 3 stars.

Uncategorized

HB 562 Is Reported Out Of Rules Committee And I’m Not Happy

June 4, 2015 by

The devil is in the details as they say. Yesterday, the NC House’s Rules Committee reported out a committee substitute version of HB 563, the Second Amendment Affirmation Act, and I’m not exactly happy. Yes, there are good things in the bill and yes, it goes to the floor of the House. However, the way the Rules Committee has so mangled up the elimination of the pistol purchase permit irks me to no end.

Section 18 of the revised bill states in part:

Subsections (a) and (b) of Section 10 of this act
become effective October 1, 2021, and apply to offenses committed on or after that date.
Subsection (c) of Section 10 of this act becomes effective October 1, 2018, and applies to
offenses committed on or after that date. Subsection (d) of Section 10 of this act becomes
effective December 1, 2015, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

As I said, the devils in the details. What this means is that the pistol purchase permit system is eliminated in its entirety effective October 1, 2021 as Section 10 (a) and (b) refer to those parts of the General Statutes controlling permits. However, if you purchase a pistol from an FFL after October 1, 2018, a permit won’t be needed if they run a NICS check.

The original substitute bill that I saw earlier this week would have set that date at December 1, 2015. What this means is that the Rules Committee and the House Republicans have again kow-towed to the North Carolina Sheriffs Association. If this provision remains in the bill and the bills passes into law, the sheriffs will continue to get their $5 per permit for another three years.

What makes this more egregious is that Bloomberg and his Demanding Mommies in their Felon Orange Tee’s will claim this as a victory for gun control. This when most Republican House members don’t give a large rodent’s behind for them but will bend over backwards to the NCSA.

The changes in Section 10 (d) are actually good and timely. It provides standardization of the forms and process. The “good moral character” provision limits the evaluation of conduct to the last five years. Finally, it allows for appeals that can go up as far as the Court of Appeals. Previously, appeals stopped at District Court.

The arguments put forth by the sheriffs and the NCSA that they know the people in their county and know who is a potential problem are ridiculous. To think that is superior to a NICS check for a new purchase is a joke. The way the sheriffs are clinging to this Jim Crow inspired law is appalling. That some of the bitterest clingers are African-Americans is just even more appalling.

If we can’t do away with the law, I say return it to the Clerks of Court where it was originally. Heaven knows they are better record keepers than any sheriff’s department in the state and most likely much less biased.

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Jim Crow Law Lives Until 2021

June 3, 2015 by 2 Comments

According to WRAL Raleigh, HB 562 – the Second Amendment Affirmation Act – was postponed for consideration until Wednesday. The House Rules Committee will vote on a committee substitute at 9am tomorrow. A summary of the committee summary can be found here and the actual text here. It does include the elimination of the pistol purchase permit but not until 2021. Dealers, however, would be allowed to sell handguns without a pistol purchase permit if they ran a NICS check on the person.

Come 2021, North Carolina residents would no longer need a permit when buying handguns under a redrafted omnibus firearms bill that circulated among members of the General Assembly Tuesday night.

The House Rules Committee is scheduled to vet the new version of HB 562 at 9 a.m. Wednesday. According to a summary of the bill provided to committee members, the measure still contains measures related to how doctors ask patients about firearms in their homes, although the language is loser than earlier versions of the bill.

Advocates for and against the measure were at the state Capitol on Tuesday. The lobbying group Moms Demand Action pressured lawmakers to turn back the bill, focusing particularly on the pistol permit provision. Meanwhile, the pro-gun lobbying group Grass Roots North Carolina pressured lawmakers to pass the bill.

The most scrutiny has focused on a provision that would repeal North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit system. As originally drafted, the bill would have ended the state’s pistol permit system in 2018. The measure up for consideration Wednesday morning would extend the system’s life until 2021.

Sen. Furnifold Simmons and early N&O owner Josephus Daniels are probably laughing from the grave over this turn of events. They were the architects of the racist white supremacy policies of the North Carolina Democratic Party. The co-sponsor of the Senate bill that eventually became law was none other than Simmons’ former brother-in-law Sen. Earle A. Humphrey (D-Goldsboro).  Simmons’ dominance of North Carolina politics in that era was so far reaching that it was referred to as the Simmons Machine just like Richard Daley’s dominance of Chicago politics was called the Daley Machine.

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HB 562 – the Second Amendment Affirmation Act – Scheduled Before The NC House Tomorrow

June 2, 2015 by 2 Comments

According to Grass Roots North Carolina, the full NC House of Representatives will be voting on HB 562, the Second Amendment Affirmation Act, tomorrow.

A full House vote for H562, the “Second Amendment Affirmation Act,” is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2nd . . .

This is encouraging news, but Michael Bloomberg’s paid anti-gun pressure groups have already announced that they will be slinking around the legislative buildings in an effort to pressure your representatives into ignoring the will of the people of North Carolina. That means:

WE NEED YOU!

Stand for Your Gun Rights on Tuesday

GRNC has been telling you about this ‘Michael Bloomberg Doesn’t Speak for Me’ event. If you haven’t already planned to be there, there has never been a better time to drop what you’re doing, and head to the Legislative Building, in Raleigh, to stand for what’s right!

Tomorrow morning (Tuesday), please join other GRNC supporters, and call on your representatives to do the right thing. Bring family, bring friends. Bring anyone who cares about the future of gun rights in North Carolina.

I posted details on the event yesterday. You can find all the details here.

If the House does indeed vote to pass HB 562 tomorrow – and they should – that would be a good repudiation of Bloomberg’s money.

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GRNC To Counter-Protest The Demanding Moms On Tuesday

June 1, 2015 by 2 Comments

The Demanding Moms plan a protest on June 2nd at the North Carolina General Assembly Building against HB 562. They will be wearing orange shirts* because that is the color required of hunters for safety. It is unknown if they will be chanting “Hands Up, Don’t Shot” but nothing they do would surprise me.

Bloomberg and his orange-clad minions are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat HB 562. They are running a media campaign plus running full-page ads in the News and Observer. They may be running ads in other papers for all I know. This is in addition to all the free media they are getting from the editorial pages of various NC newspapers.

Grass Roots North Carolina is organizing a counter-protest on Tuesday morning. They are asking people to wear either GRNC logo shirts or green shirts. Details are below.

A legislative history of the pistol purchase permits that would be eliminated can be found here.

Bloomberg’s Anti-gun Agitators Plan Protest…
The handful of “Moms Demand Action for Gunsense” activists hired by Bloomberg in North Carolina to attack our gun rights
plan to protest pro-freedom House Bill 562 this coming Tuesday, June 2nd, in the Capitol building. If you show up for anything, you
need to attend our counter protest on Tuesday!

As
you know, HB562 is an omnibus pro-gun rights bill that,
among other things, will finally rid our state of one of the last
vestiges of an unpleasant Jim Crow past: the antiquated pistol permit
system.
It
isn’t surprising that repressive politicians like
Bloomberg want to maintain discriminatory and anti-freedom laws. But
Bloomberg is particularly dangerous given billions at his disposal to
wield as a
weapon intending to deprive every American of Second Amendment
rights.

Bloomberg is currently spending hundreds of thousands on TV ads to kill HB562, falsely claiming it
“abolishes” background checks.

GRNC Responds


In response, GRNC initiated
its “Michael Bloomberg doesn’t speak for me” radio ad campaign featuring real North Carolina
mothers who oppose Bloomberg and support HB 562. We kicked off the campaign with a press conference heavily covered by
national media which can be seen on GRNC’s home page at www.GRNC.org, at which North Carolina women stood
before the world to declare: “I’m a North
Carolina Mom, and Michael Bloomberg doesn’t speak for
me!”

News & Observer Colludes

No friend to NC gun owners, the Raleigh News & Observer has run a
series of misleading Op Eds along with a full page Bloomberg-funded,
deceit-laden advertisement against HB562. As an example of the type of
deception engaged in, Bloomberg’s ad implies that HB562 will allow
violent
criminals to legally obtain and possess firearms:

“Under House Bill 562, felons and domestic abusers would be able to avoid a criminal background check by buying handguns from
unlicensed sellers -including strangers they meet online.”

GRNC Plans Counter Protest: BE THERE!

We say, if Bloomberg
wants a party at the General Assembly, let’s give him a party!
Accordingly,
we need YOU to show up at the North Carolina General Assembly
Legislative Building, 16 West Jones Street, Raleigh, NC
27601 at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, June 2, 2015. We will have a table set up
in the 1300 courtyard, on the left as you enter the building. If you
cannot
make it by 8:30 AM anytime before 10 AM will be helpful!

To demonstrate grassroots solidarity, we suggest wearing
GRNC apparel (polos, T-shirts, hats) or green (preferably bright green)
clothing. We will have coordinated stickers for clothing and signs to carry.

If you wish to wear GRNC apparel, but don’t yet have any, please
email GRNC Director of Development, Josette Chimel and she will bring
the
items you want to the General Assembly. Please email Josette today at DirectorofDevelopment@GRNC.org.
Bring as many of your friends and family as you can. Don’t forget to email GRNC Director of
Development, Josette Chimel with an estimate of the number who will be attending at
DirectorofDevelopment@GRNC.org.

IMMEDIATE ACTION
REQUIRED!
  • ATTEND ‘MICHAEL
    BLOOMBERG DOESN’T SPEAK FOR ME’ EVENT AT LEGISLATURE    : If you can attend, please send an email to DirectorofDevelopment@GRNC.org and let us know how many people you can bring. Details:

WHEN: Tuesday, June 2, 2015; 8:30 AM
WHERE: Legislative Building

1300 Courtyard
16 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
MAPS &

DIRECTIONS:		 Directions:

http://www.ncleg.net/NCGAInfo/visitinglegcomplex.html

Legislative Complex Map:

http://grnc.org/images/alertimages/legislative-complex-map.jpg
TIPS:
Due to morning traffic and
parking considerations, please allow for plenty of extra travel time. Please be at the Legislative Building Courtyard by 8:30
AM.

Wear bright green clothing if possible.

  • CALL & EMAIL THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Contact N&O President/Publisher Orage Quarles III by emailing him this weekend at: oquarles@newsobserver.com
    AND calling him Monday morning as close as possible to 9:00 AM at (919)
    829-4659. Let him know you don’t appreciate the N&O acting as a
    shill for New York carpetbagger Michael Bloomberg, and that you will
    promptly cancel your subscription and boycott N&O advertisers. Use
    the copy/paste email below, under ‘Deliver This Message to the N&O.’
  • CONTRIBUTE TO GRNC: Unlike Bloomberg, we don’t have millions of dollars for this campaign. WE RELY ON YOU. If you have
    contributed, we thank you (and unfortunately have to ask for more). If you have not, please go to: http://grnc.org/join-grnc/contribute


DELIVER THIS MESSAGE TO THE N&O
Suggested Subject: “Stop Partnering with Bloomberg on H562 Falsehoods”  
Dear Mr. Quarles:

I am very disappointed to see “The News & Observer”
partnering with New York billionaire, Michael Bloomberg, to spread the
falsehood that H562 will eliminate criminal background checks for
handgun
purchases in North Carolina. Of course, nothing could be further from
the truth.

H562 eliminates the Jim Crow-era Pistol
Purchase Permit (PPP) system that was put in place to keep minorities
from obtaining firearms for self-protection, and it can still be used
by
sheriffs to arbitrarily restrict law-abiding citizens from exercising
their civil rights. H562 would replace this archaic and shameful system
with
the National Instant Criminal-Background Check System (NICS).

NICS is a modern, computerized system already used by
thirty-five other states and territories, and even in North Carolina
for long gun purchases. The NICS checks a purchaser’s background at the
point of sale, which is greatly superior to the PPP system, where a
sheriff issues a paper permit which can be valid for up to five years,
leaving
plenty of time for the permit-holder to commit disqualifying crimes, and
still use the valid permit to buy a handgun.

The
idea that H562 eliminates background checks is absurd, and two or three
minutes with any popular search engine makes that clear. “The News
& Observer” is in the research and information business. If you can
get something this easy to research so terribly wrong, it
couldn’t possibly be a mistake. Feigned ignorance and blatant untruths
have no place at a news organization.

Because
“The News & Observer” has decided to shill for Michael Bloomberg, I
intend to boycott your newspaper, and its advertisers. In fact,
I have already contacted one of your advertisers to let them know of my
intentions, due to their affiliation with your newspaper and its
willingness
to aid Mr. Bloomberg and his front groups.

I
will continue to track this issue through alerts from Grass Roots
North
Carolina.

Respectfully,

Lies Told by Moms Demanding Action
Click
here to learn the full details of the deceptions spread by the so-called Moms Demanding Action (or rather Moms Demanding Gun
Bans).

* There is a great line in the movie Legally Blonde that applies here. As this movie was one of my younger step-daughter’s favorite movies, I learned some quotes from the movie along the way.

“Whoever said orange is the new pink was seriously disturbed” – Elle Woods