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.
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.
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.
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.
by 
