HB 650

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HB 650 – Up For Vote In NC House Tomorrow

June 7, 2011 by 2 Comments

The amended HB 650 is calendared for its 2nd and 3rd Readings in the North Carolina State House tomorrow. If it passes, it will beat the crossover deadline of June 9th.

The amended bill includes various amendments to North Carolina’s gun laws plus the Castle Doctrine which was added to the 2nd Edition of HB 650.

Sean at An NC Gun Blog has an in-depth study of each section of the original bill here.

UPDATE: A brief outline of the changes in the bill from the original to the bill up for a vote. Firearms during emergencies has been dropped from the bill and castle doctrine added. Thanks to Sean Sorrentino for outlining the changes.

section 1-3 Castle bill
4- retains wording that says you can have a gun on campus if locked in your vehicle
5 = old section 2
6 = 3
7 = 4
8 is HUGE, rewrites the stupid Mass Death and Destruction law. Now you can own if you own in compliance w/ federal law!
9 more changes to Mass Death and Destruction
10 clarifies law allowing police officers to buy pistols w/out permits.
11 is an Anti-Bloomburg sting law
12 buy long guns out of state
13 parking lot law
14 = old section 9
15 only have to notify officer if he is in the performance of his official duties
16 = old section 10
17 = old section 12
18 = old section 13
19 = old section 14
20 = old section 15
21 = old section 16
22 = old section 17
23 lowers the punishment for not carrying CHP card to an infraction – old section 18 just repealed the punishment entirely
24 = old section 19
25 = old section 20
26 = clarifies that ban on gun ownership and possession during protective order is only in effect if so ordered by court
27 says that guns in places of business is not an OSHA violation and that the Atty General must intervene to protect private owners against OSHA
28 = old section 21
29 says everything starts on DEC 1.

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Weakening Amendments For HB 650?

June 3, 2011 by

This alert was released this evening by Grass Roots North Carolina. Looks like it is time to contact your state rep and put the fear of God in them about weakening amendments.

WEAKENING AMENDMENTS MAY BE PENDING

House Bill 650, “Amend Various Gun Laws,” passed from the NC House Judiciary C Committee yesterday and heads for a floor vote: Tuesday, June 7. As you may recall, special interest groups have tried to subject the bill to the “death of a thousand cuts” by attacking individual provisions. Nonetheless, HB 650 is still a far-reaching improvement in NC gun laws, including:

  • Castle Doctrine (a strong version comparable to SB 34, which earlier passed the Senate);
  • Permitting concealed handgun permit-holders to have firearms in locked vehicles on educational property;
  • Enabling rifle and shotgun purchases in non-contiguous states beyond NC;
  • Allowing guns in locked vehicles at businesses or places of employment;
  • Reducing issuing times for concealed handgun permits from 90 to 45 days;
  • Reducing penalties for minor CHP violations to civil infractions; and
  • Changing concealed handgun to straight recognition of out-of-state permits;

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER MAY TRY TO WEAKEN BILL

Thanks to continued anti-gun attacks by House Majority Leader Paul (“Skip”) Stam (R-Wake, GRNC 0-star), sponsor Mark Hilton (R-Catawba, GRNC ****) was forced to limit the “guns-in-locked-vehicles” provision above to concealed handgun permit-holders. It is expected that Stam will further attempt to weaken the bill via floor amendments, meaning you must IMMEDIATELY deliver the message to House members that you WILL NOT tolerate further weakening amendments to the bill.

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HB 650 Expanded In Committee

June 3, 2011 by

The NRA-ILA released this today regarding North Carolina’s omnibus gun law – HB 650 – which passed out of the House Judiciary C Subcommittee yesterday. Before it left the subcommittee, the committee amended the bill to add the castle doctrine and parking lot provisions among other gun rights strengthening provisions.

North Carolina: Castle Doctrine Language and Parking Lot Provision in NRA-Backed Omnibus Bill Threatened!

Thursday, June 02, 2011

Urge Your Representative to Oppose Any Amendments to House Bill 650!

As reported by the NRA yesterday, the North Carolina House Judiciary Subcommittee C sent House Bill 650, the NRA–backed omnibus gun bill, to the House floor for a vote. However, there is now a strong effort by the anti-gun lobby to add amendments that would weaken both the current Castle Doctrine language and Parking Lot/Employee Protection provision contained in this bill. It is vital that you let your state Representative know that he or she needs to support HB 650 in its current form and oppose all amendments, especially those that would weaken Castle Doctrine and Parking Lot language.

HB 650, introduced by state Representative Mark Hilton (R-96), originally focused on making a number of improvements to the Right-to-Carry (RTC) law, as well as improving the firearm preemption statute that prevents municipalities from enacting gun control laws more onerous than what has been passed by the state. A Proposed Committee Substitute (PCS) for the bill was approved by the subcommittee at a previous hearing, which greatly expanded the bill’s scope in a very positive way. The PCS includes a number of other issues, such as Castle Doctrine language, Parking Lot/Employee Protection language, Fraudulent Firearms Purchase Prevention language, and language to ensure North Carolina residents are not prohibited by state law from purchasing long guns in states that do not border North Carolina.

It is essential to the passage of this bill that you contact your state Representative IMMEDIATELY and urge him or her to support the current version of HB 650 with NO amendments, especially any amendments that would weaken Castle Doctrine and Parking Lot provisions. Contact information for your state Representative can be found here.

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HB 650 Passes Committee Vote In NC General Assembly

June 2, 2011 by

HB 650 – the omnibus bill that amends a number of North Carolina’s firearms laws – passed out of the House Judiciary C Subcommittee today. Grass Roots North Carolina issued this on the passage.

HB 650, the massive gun bill we have been telling you about is now passed in House Judiciary C Sub-Committee. We now need you to contact the full House list to express your support for this important bill.

To recap:

HB 650 is a huge and aggressive bill, meaning it will be difficult to pass. But if passed, it will go far toward reversing the creeping encroachment on gun owners’ rights perpetuated in previous sessions of the legislature, including (but not limited to):

  • Castle Doctrine (yet another vehicle for popular Castle Doctrine is now moving);
  • Reducing penalties for carrying firearms on “educational property,” including a protection against accidentally becoming a criminal by requiring that offenders “knowingly” brought the gun onto educational property;
  • Enabling concealed carry at events for which admission is charged;
  • Reducing penalties for a host of minor (often inadvertent) gun violations;
  • Adding protections for gun owners whose guns are confiscated pursuant to domestic protective orders;
  • Improves concealed handgun reciprocity to straight recognition of out-of-state permits;
  • Removes provisions for concealed handgun applicants under which sheriffs are conducting intrusive investigations of medical history; and
  • Enabling employees to keep guns in locked vehicles at places of employment.

Checking the legislative calendar for the rest of the week, this bill has not been put on the calendar for the 2nd and 3rd reading. Unless it passes out of the State House by June 9th, it can’t be considered for passage in the 2012 session of the General Assembly.

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Report On NC Hearings On Omnibus Bill Amending Gun Laws

May 20, 2011 by

The North Carolina House Judiciary C Committee held hearings yesterday on HB 640 – Amend Gun Laws. This is an omnibus bill that amends a number of existing gun laws in North Carolina and improves gun rights. You can read more about the details of the bill at Sean’s blog here.

Grass Roots North Carolina released this summation of the hearings by e-mail tonight. I’d say they were pleased with how they went. GRNC President Paul Valone was one of those who testified on the bill at the hearings.

HB 650
On Wednesday, the NC House Judiciary C Committee took on House Bill 650, “Amend Various Gun Laws.” Thanks to the efforts of Sponsors Mark Hilton (R-Catawba, GRNC ****), Steven LaRoque (R-Greene, Lenoir, Wayne, ****), George Cleveland (R-Onslow, ****) and Kelly Hastings (R- Cleveland, Gaston, ****), plus the leadership of Rules Chairman Tim Moore (R- Cleveland, ****) and Speaker Thom Tillis (R-Meckleburg, ****), the bill is likely to receive a committee vote next Wednesday. Gun rights supporters should immediately e-mail these courageous legislators with thanks.

HB 650 is a huge and aggressive bill, meaning it will be difficult to pass. But if passed, it will go far toward reversing the creeping encroachment on gun owners’ rights perpetuated in previous sessions of the legislature, including (but not limited to):

  • Castle Doctrine (yet another vehicle for popular Castle Doctrine is now moving);
  • Reducing penalties for carrying firearms on “educational property,” including a protection against accidentally becoming a criminal by requiring that offenders “knowingly” brought the gun onto educational property;
  • Enabling concealed carry at events for which admission is charged;
  • Reducing penalties for a host of minor (often inadvertent) gun violations;
  • Adding protections for gun owners whose guns are confiscated pursuant to domestic protective orders;
  • Improves concealed handgun reciprocity to straight recognition of out-of-state permits;
  • Removes provisions for concealed handgun applicants under which sheriffs are conducting intrusive investigations of medical history; and
  • Enabling employees to keep guns in locked vehicles at places of employment.
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Committee Hearings Set On 2 NC Gun Laws

May 17, 2011 by 1 Comment

The North Carolina House Judiciary C Subcommittee will hold hearings on HB 650 – Amend Various Gun Laws – tomorrow. Sean at A NC Gun Blog has a section by section analysis of HB 650. As Sean says, “the bill is long and complicated.” Among the things this bill would do is recognize any other state’s concealed carry permit and it would prevent the banning of firearms during times of emergency.

Senate Bill 594 is also aimed at preventing the banning of firearms during times of declared emergencies. Both the provision concerning the banning of firearms during states of emergency contained in HB 650 and SB 594 could have the potential to moot the Bateman case which was brought against North Carolina by the Second Amendment Foundation and Grass Roots North Carolina. As much as I’d like to see the banning of firearms during declared emergencies done away with, I’m not so sure that having the Bateman case mooted is a good thing. As Alan Gura has noted many times in many venues, you only get one chance to get an opinion but you have numerous opportunities to pass legislation. So in terms of what is best for long-term Second Amendment rights, it may be best if the emergency ban issues are put on hold until after Bateman is decided. The case is now fully briefed.

The other firearms related bill is HB 582 – Amend Felony Firearms Act/Increase Penalties. This bill is scheduled for hearings tomorrow before the House Judiciary B Subcommittee. This bill would set the penalty for a felon in possession of a firearm as a Class G felony unless the offense was covered by a higher class of felony. HB 582 would also increase the penalty if the firearm was discharged, if an injury occurred, or if there was a serious bodily injury.

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HB 650 – Amends North Carolina Gun Laws

April 8, 2011 by 2 Comments

Grass Roots NC just sent out their unqualified endorsement of HB 650.

HB 650
A new bill has been introduced in the NC House which will improve a number of minor points in NC firearms law. HB 650, “Amend Various Gun Laws,” is being sponsored by Representatives Mark Hilton, Stephen A. LaRoque, George G. Cleveland, Kelly E. Hastings and Glen Bradley.

GRNC stands in full support of HB 650.

Among the important points about HB 650 are:
* It will reduce penalties for carry by permit-holders and certain others on educational property
* Keeps firearms from being confiscated from gun owners who may not have had a day in court before being placed under restraining orders
* Allows firearms to be kept in locked vehicles at parades (where they are currently prohibited altogether)
* Permits firearms to be carried during states of emergency
* Allows firearms in municipal parks
* Removes provisions under which sheriffs have asked for private medical information from concealed handgun applicants
* Increases the number of people who qualify for concealed handgun permits
* Changes concealed handgun reciprocity to full recognition of out-of-state permits
* Removes provisions under which municipalities can prohibit open carry

HB 650 has 23 different sections to it. Sean at An NC Gun Blog has posts and analysis on the first seven parts. I should have more up later tonight or tomorrow with my impressions. Below are links to Sean’s posts.

Part 1

Part 2

Parts 3 and 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7