GRNC: Override Cooper’s Veto Of SB43

Grass Roots North Carolina released an alert yesterday evening urging people to contact those legislators on the bubble. It is time for them to decide if good people who merely want to protect their fellow churchgoers are more important or is party more important.

You know my feelings on the subject. I think the veto was not only disingenuous but evil.

OVERRIDE GOVERNOR COOPER’S VETO OF SB43
Since 1995, the majority of North Carolina churches have had the protections that SB43 would have extended to all places of worship. Guns have been present in those places for decades as a lifesaving protection against evil. 

Despite solid bipartisan majorities in the legislature who voted not once but TWICE to send this bill to his desk, despite the thousands of emails and calls last week to the Governor’s office imploring him to correct an injustice recognized by all, Governor Cooper chose not to follow the will of North Carolinians but the dictates of the leftist anti-liberty lobby instead.

A veto override in both chambers will be required to remedy this clear and present danger to churchgoers across the state.  

The antis object to the people being able to defend themselves based on a fanatical fear that someone, somewhere, sometime in the distant future may casually leave a gun laying around. Uncaring that they are endangering children because they are deathly afraid that guns might be present in certain places.
Those who obtain a concealed carry permit have to undergo extensive background checks and training.  They invest time and money in the proper holster and equipment to safely carry their firearms.  

History has shown there is a far greater risk from crime or mass murderers than those who have show  themselves to be of exemplary character in obtaining a concealed carry permit.
We know we can count on the Republican members of the General Assembly to vote in favor of an override, but can we count on the support of the Democratic legislators who previously supported the bill to do the same?

We need the Democrat legislators to stand firm on their principles and not give in to political pressure and vote WRONG.  

The following members of the NC Senate: Senators Sarah Crawford, Don Davis, and Kirk deViere; and members of the NC House: Representatives Charles Graham, Abe Jones, Brian Turner, Shelly Willingham, and Michael Wray, along with Senate Leader Pro Tempore Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore need to hear from you TODAY that we expect a veto override vote to be scheduled and won without delay.   Those who would vote to deny this equal protection under the law for all, and certainly those who would change their prior vote of support for a blindly partisan vote of opposition will have blood on their hands if violence is perpetrated against a church unjustly prohibited to use all means available to protect themselves and their congregations during worship services.

We need not a thousand calls and emails but tens of thousands to demand the immediate override of this veto. 

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Call the following list of Democratic Representatives along with Senate Leader Pro Tempore Berger and House Speaker Moore: 

Senate Leader Pro Tempore Phil Berger         (919) 733-5708
Senator Sarah Crawford                               (919) 733-5850
Senator Don Davis                                       (919) 717-8363
Senator Kirk deViere                                    (919) 733-5776
House Speaker Tim Moore (R)                       (919) 733-3451
Representative Charles Graham (D-47)          (919) 715-0875
Representative Abe Jones (D-38)                   (919) 733-5758
Representative Brian Turner (D-116)             (919) 715-3012
Representative Shelly Willingham (D-23)        (919) 715-3024
Representative Michael Wray (D-21)              (919) 733-5662

Hello, my name is (name). I am calling to direct the legislature immediately take action to override the dangerous veto of Senate Bill 43 (Protect Religious Meeting Places) and expect you to remain true to your previous votes in support of this measure.  Don’t allow some churches to be singled out for violence merely because of petty partisan politics.  I will be following this matter through GRNC legislative alerts.  Thank you.”

Email members of the Senate: 


Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov;
Sarah.Crawford@ncleg.gov;
Don.Davis@ncleg.gov;
Kirk.deViere@ncleg.gov

Email members of the House:

Tim.Moore@ncleg.gov;
Charles.Graham@ncleg.gov;
Brian.Turner@ncleg.gov;
Shelly.Willingham@ncleg.gov;
Michael.Wray@ncleg.gov
 
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE


Suggested Subject: “Don’t Single Out Certain North Carolina Churches for Violence
”  
 
Dear Legislator:
 
Since 1995, the majority of North Carolina churches have had the protections that SB43 would have extended to all places of worship. Guns have been present in those places for decades as lifesaving protection against criminals and mass murderers who are stopped by silly rules or signs about massacre zones.

Those who object to the people being able to exercise their common sense civil right of armed self-defense do so based on the feeble excuse that someone, somewhere might leave a gun laying around. Those who take on the solemn duty of defending their family and their fellow man undergo extensive background checks and training and they invest a lot of time and money to safely carry their firearms. 
 
They do not just leave them lying around as some would have you believe. Those who object to SB43 are endangering certain people based on a rare possibility instead of the real threat of crime or a mass shooting.  They are rendering people unsafe based on this belief. 

It is time that you step up to protect the people of North Carolina and override the governor’s veto. You voted twice previously to support this legislation and I now expect you to remain true to your previous votes in support of this measure. I will be following this matter through GRNC legislative alerts.

Respectfully,

Gov. Cooper Continues To Put Churches At Risk

The North Carolina General Assembly passed SB 43 – Protect Religious Meeting Places with bipartisan majorities. The bill would have allowed concealed carry at churches with attached private schools outside of school and extracurricular hours. In other words, a church could have their own security team made up of church members during their church services. We have seen too many times that churches have become the targets of evil people.

Despite all the safeguards in place, Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) again vetoed a bill that would protected churches. He said in his veto statement, “For the safety of students and teachers, North Carolina should keep guns off school grounds.” According to WRAL, this was Cooper’s 55th veto since first taking office. It is important to note here again that the bill only impacted churches with private schools and that the definition of school hours was even more restrictive than the bill he vetoed in the last session of the General Assembly.

Riverside Independent Baptist Church, Lumberton, NC

The question now becomes will the Democrats who voted for the bill decide that it is more important to stand with the governor and party or with church people. In 2020, enough Democrats thought party was more important than church people and sustained Cooper’s veto of H652. The picture above is of Riverside Independent Baptist Church and Riverside Christian Academy. It is in the district of Rep. Charles Graham (D-Robeson) who voted in favor of the bill.

Rev. Mark Creech, Executive Director of the Christian Action League, did not hold back in his criticism of the veto. He said, in part:

“The legislation the Governor vetoed provided a simple carve-out in the law for churches associated with private Christian schools. This is the second time he has vetoed such legislation. His expressed concerns for rejecting the measure, however, were respected and addressed in this bill. His veto is, therefore, simply unreasonable.

“It is quite cost-prohibitive for many of the churches associated with private Christian schools to afford to hire off-duty police officers. Without this legislation, these churches are vulnerable to some crazed soul who might walk in and want to start shooting. The threat is real and urgent! 

“The Governor’s veto makes me wonder how long it’s been since he’s been to church. Surely he understands there are teachers and students in our Sunday School classes. Other churches are allowed to protect their teachers and students in Sunday Schools, but not churches connected with schools. It makes no sense. 

“Is there some personal animus by the Governor toward private Christian education? Or is he operating entirely as a liberal ideologue against it? Because he has now made it abundantly clear, if a church chooses to provide a Christian education to its community, it will not be allowed to defend itself against persons with murderous intent. That will undoubtedly work to quash any growth of church-sponsored schools.

He went on to add that if a mass shooting happened at one of these churches the blood of the slain would be on Cooper’s hand.

Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina, also reacted strongly to the veto.

“Given that North Carolina concealed handgun permit-holders have been safely carrying in many churches since 1995, there is no rational reason for Governor Cooper’s veto of SB 43. It is disappointing but by no means surprising that Governor Cooper puts politics ahead of keeping religious meeting places safe from increasingly common violent attacks. 

“GRNC is calling upon legislators of both parties to over-ride the veto. If the effort fails and a church killing takes place in North Carolina as it has elsewhere, we will hold responsible both Gov. Cooper and those who support his veto.”

While calling the Democrats who voted for the bill as well as the many who just so happened to be absent the day of the vote could have impact, I suggest a different approach.

I think the churches impacted that are in the districts of these Democrats should organize a vigil or demonstration outside the home of each and every one of these legislators. I would make sure that there were a lot of elderly and young children in the crowd. They should stand their silently holding signs saying something like “Are we not worthy of protection?” I would make sure every media outlet in the region was alerted and on scene. The pastor should have a concise statement ready to give the press as well. Remember that if there is one thing politicians hate, it is being embarrassed in the media. The time for being meek and subservient is over.

Vote On H398 Is Wednesday

It finally looks like the North Carolina pistol purchase permit will be on its way out. A vote in the NC House is scheduled for Wednesday, May 5th.

Of course, I fully expect Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) to veto H398 if it passes the North Carolina General Assembly. An override will depend upon whether Democrats want to defend a racist, Jim Crow-era law that has been shown still to discriminate against African-Americans.

As Grass Roots North Carolina says in the alert, now is the time to put on and keep up the pressure.

Call your own representative, Democrat or Republican, and demand they pass this bill. If you don’t know who your representative is, use this tool.

Email every House Republican. Their email addresses are in the alert. You may need to copy the email addresses into your word processor and convert the “;” into a “,” depending upon your email program. I’d also suggest pasting them in as a BCC. Two minutes of copy and paste is all it takes. I just did it.

If you are not on the Grass Roots North Carolina email alert list, you need to be! Go here to sign up.

NC’s Pistol Purchase Permit May Be Eliminated

That 1919 remnant of the Jim Crow era, North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit, may finally be on its way out. The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association has finally endorsed its elimination and the House Judiciary 4 Committee voted out a bill that would do away with it.

Research published in the North Carolina Law Review showed that African-Americans were three times as likely to be denied than whites. This comes from a study of permits issued in Wake County where Sheriff Gerald Baker (D-Wake) is facing lawsuits for refusing to issue permits “due to COVID”.

This is not a done deal and I fully expect Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) to veto it. The law was intended to deny constitutional rights to African-Americans and its practice still does. Let him veto it and then try and defend that!

Since this is not a done deal, Grass Roots North Carolina is calling people to contact first Republicans and then later Democrats to pass this bill.

House Committee Passes Purchase Permit Repeal
Thanks to Reps. Jay Adams, Hugh Blackwell, Keith Kidwell, and George Cleveland, today the NC House Judiciary 4 Committee passed H398, a full repeal of North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit (PPP) law – a law which not only allows some urban sheriffs to obstruct people from buying handguns for self-protection, but to this day also disproportionally denies minorities the ability to buy handguns for self-defense.

Not only are Republicans on board with repealing the racist law, but now the NC Sheriffs’ Association has joined them in supporting repeal. And who does that leave still supporting racist gun control? Democrats.
Said GRNC president Paul Valone:
“We are encouraged to see that the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association now agrees to bring gun purchases in North Carolina into the 21st Century by eliminating our Jim Crow-era permit system and requiring background checks at the point of sale. Given that a recent UNC School of Law paper found that in Wake County, black applicants are being denied permits three times more often than whites, it is clear that racism in issuing permits continues to this day. Consequently, we are calling upon Democrat legislators to join in repealing this racist law.”

Presuming the PPP repeal passes the General Assembly, anti-gun Democrat Governor Roy Cooper will certainly veto it. Because Republicans don’t have the 6/10 majority in either chamber that is required to over-ride Cooper’s veto, at least some Democrats will have to vote to over-ride.

Will Democrats do the right thing, or will they be the only ones left clinging to racist gun control? Please note that this message goes to Republicans.

Very soon, we will issue another alert with a message for Democrats.

EMAIL ALL NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS:  Please note that the large number of Republican recipients may require you to break up your message into multiple groups.   
CALL YOUR NC HOUSE REP:  You can find your NC House rep by going to: 

https://ncleg.gov/FindYourLegislators

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.

CONTACT INFO
 
Copy each block of address and paste into an email

 
Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.gov; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.gov; Steve.Tyson@ncleg.gov;   Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.gov;  Bobby.Hanig@ncleg.gov; Matthew.Winslow@ncleg.gov;  John.Bell@ncleg.gov;  Chris.Humphrey@ncleg.gov; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.gov;  Phil.Shepard@ncleg.gov; Carson.Smith@ncleg.gov; Frank.Iler@ncleg.gov;  Charles.Miller@ncleg.gov; Ted.Davis@ncleg.gov;  William.Brisson@ncleg.gov;   Donna.White@ncleg.gov;  Larry.Strickland@ncleg.gov; 

Erin.Pare@ncleg.gov;                           Diane.Wheatley@ncleg.gov;  John.Szoka@ncleg.gov;  Brenden.Jones@ncleg.gov;  Graig.Meyer@ncleg.gov;                              John.Sauls@ncleg.gov;  Jamie.Boles@ncleg.gov;                        Howard.Penny@ncleg.gov;  Mark.Brody@ncleg.gov;                            Jon.Hardister@ncleg.gov; 
 
John.Faircloth@ncleg.gov;  Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.gov; Jerry.Carter@ncleg.gov; Ben.Moss@ncleg.gov; Wayne.Sasser@ncleg.gov; David.Willis@ncleg.gov; Dean.Arp@ncleg.gov; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.gov;  Lee.Zachary@ncleg.gov; Jeff.Zenger@ncleg.gov; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.gov; Harry.Warren@ncleg.gov; Julia.Howard@ncleg.gov; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.gov; Sam.Watford@ncleg.gov; Larry.Potts@ncleg.gov; Kristin.Baker@ncleg.gov;  Dudley.Greene@ncleg.gov; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.gov; Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov;  Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.gov; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.gov
 
Kyle.Hall@ncleg.gov;  Ray.Pickett@ncleg.gov; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.gov; Grey.Mills@ncleg.gov;  Jason.Saine@ncleg.gov; John.Bradford@ncleg.gov;  John.Torbett@ncleg.gov; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.gov; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.gov; Tim.Moore@ncleg.gov; David.Rogers@ncleg.gov; Jake.Johnson@ncleg.gov;  Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.gov; Mark.Pless@ncleg.gov; Mike.Clampitt@ncleg.gov; Karl.Gillespie@ncleg.govsomebody@ncleg.net
 
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Repeal our racist pistol purchase permit law”  
 
Dear NC House Representative:
 
As stated by NC Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Eddie Caldwell in the Judiciary 4 Committee, the association now supports the repeal of our Jim-Crow era pistol purchase permit system. Describing recent improvements to North Carolina reporting to the computerized National Instant Background Check System (NICS), Caldwell described the archaic and racist permit law as “duplicative.”

A recent UNC Law School paper noted that in Wake County alone, from 2015 to 2020, black applicants were denied permits at a rate three times that of whites, demonstrating that racism in the permit law continues to this day. In early 2020, Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker decided to stop issuing permits altogether in violation of G.S. 14-404(f), which requires permits to be issued to qualified applicants within 14 days. In other urban North Carolina counties, permits are still being delayed by weeks, even months.

Finally, purchase permits remain valid for 5 years, raising the possibility that an individual could obtain a permit, commit a crime and then, once disqualified from buying a firearm, use the 5-year-old permit to bypass NICS.

I strongly urge you to support the repeal of our archaic, racist, and obstructionist pistol purchase permit law. I will be monitoring this issue through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.


Respectfully,

NC Republicans Waffle on Pistol Purchase Permit Fix

In a year in which we saw the state of Iowa ditch their requirement for a pistol purchase permit, the Republicans in the North Carolina General Assembly still are kowtowing to the NC Sheriffs Association. Certain sheriffs in North Carolina have been obstructing the issuance of pistol purchase permits since the beginning of the pandemic.

A simple bill, HB 398, would provide citizens of a county an alternative where their sheriff has been one of these obstructionists. It simply allows them to apply for a permit in an adjoining county. So, for example, a citizen of Wake County, where Sheriff Gerald Baker has been such an obstructionist that he is being sued in US District court, could apply for a permit in one of the seven adjoining counties. This bill is a mere tweak to a Jim Crow law that should have been ditched years ago. Notwithstanding that the sheriffs of the seven largest counties in the state are all African-American who you would think would want such a racist law abolished, the NC Sheriffs Association seems to be objecting to such a fix. That has the GOP in the General Assembly – or some of them – caving.

Grass Roots North Carolina has fought the issue for over 20 years. They just issued an alert after HB 398 was removed from a hearing calendar.

NC SHERIFFS EFFECTIVELY SAY ‘POUND SAND’
In the early months of the pandemic, GRNC began receiving complaints of abuse of the NC pistol purchase permit system by sheriffs in Wake and Mecklenburg counties and elsewhere. Wake County Sheriff Gerald Baker even tried to stop issuing permits altogether…until GRNC and two other organizations sued him. Yet despite even this, purchase permit and concealed handgun applicants are reporting multi-month delays in scheduling appointments for permits.

NC Sheriffs effectively say ‘pound sand’ GRNC has been trying to repeal the Jim Crow-era purchase permit law for 20+ years, even getting a repeal through the NC Senate in 2014. Unfortunately, each time we have encountered opposition from the powerful NC Sheriffs Association (NCSA).

In the interest of getting permits into the hands of applicants until we can fully repeal the law, Representative Jay Adams (R-Catawba, GRNC ****) introduced HB 398, a simple bill to at least allow applicants to apply in counties adjoining their county of residence if their own sheriff is being obstructionist. 

The bill was calendared for a hearing last Wednesday…until, apparently, the Sheriffs’ association objected to even that minor change. Then Judiciary 4 Committee Chair Hugh Blackwell (R-Burke) pulled it from the calendar at the last minute, claiming leadership planned to “improve” the bill, but not telling anyone what the “improvements” might be, suggesting that Republicans might once again be caving to the NCSA
IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
With the crossover deadline little more than a month away, your IMMEDIATE action is crucial. Please send three emails and make three phone calls:
CALL AND EMAIL: NC House Speaker Tim Moore at: (704) 739-1221   (919) 733-3451   Tim.Moore@ncleg.gov 

CALL AND EMAIL: NC House Rules Chair Destin Hall at: (919) 733-5931   (919) 733-5931   Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov

CALL AND EMAIL: NC House Judiciary 4 Committee Chair Hugh Blackwell at: (919) 733-5805   (919) 733-5805  Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.gov

CONTACT INFO Tim.Moore@ncleg.gov; Destin.Hall@ncleg.gov; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.gov  
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Enough is enough: Pistol permit obstruction must stop!”    

Dear :[Speaker Moore/Rep. ___:]
You must stop obstruction of NC pistol purchase permits and the resulting denial of citizens’ rights by returning House Bill 398 to the House calendar for immediate action.

Using COVID-19 and increased permit applications as an excuse, sheriffs in Wake and Mecklenburg counties, among others, are obstructing pistol purchase permits and concealed handgun permits, often taking months to schedule appointments for applications, even in the face of multiple lawsuits filed by Grass Roots North Carolina and others.
For years, sheriffs have objected to repealing our Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit law – a racist law passed to prevent minorities from buying guns for self-protection. Now we are encountering resistance even to a small and simple change which would allow permit applicants to bypass obstructionist sheriffs by applying in adjacent counties.

Enough is enough. Citizens have been denied their right to purchase handguns for self-protection for entirely too long. In the 2020 elections, gun voters supported you because they expect you to protect and defend the Second Amendment. 

It is now time for you to do what we elected you to do by passing House Bill 398. Additionally, please advise me of your position on this issue. I will be monitoring your actions through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.
Respectfully,

The official state motto of North Carolina is Esse Quam Videri. Translated from the Latin it means “To be rather than to seem.” The Republicans in the General Assembly always say they support the Second Amendment and gun rights. If so, now is the time for them to be rather than to seem!

HB 652 Needs Support In NC

NC House Bill 652 would expand the ability to carry in churches. I hardly need to mention that churches have been the targets of the evil and the deranged. Needless to say but North Carolinians Against Gun Violence (sic) is adamantly against this bill if the emails I’ve received are any indication.

From NCGV:

“We oppose H652. It circumvents state policy outlawing concealed carry of firearms on school grounds and would put school children at more risk of gun violence,” said NCGV Executive Director Becky Ceartas. “State law applies to both public and private school property and makes no exception for schools owned and operated by places of worship for a simple reason: it endangers school children. 

“The fact that weapons would be allowed at the place of worship with schools but not at the associated school itself on the same property practically amounts to a distinction without a difference,” Ceartas added.

According to their email they are also opposed to making it easier for EMTs to legally carry. Don’t EMT lives matter?

Grass Roots North Carolina sent out an alert on this bill yesterday evening.

We need you to call NC House and urge them to support HOUSE BILL 652
We know that having citizens carrying in churches and other gatherings have saved countless lives.
HOUSE BILL 652 will expand the ability to carry in Churches; this is why it is critical that you call NC House Republicans to bolster their support for this important piece of legislation.
New Life Church, Colorado Springs First Baptist Church, Sutherland Springs West Freeway Church of Christ, White Settlement
What do all of these have in common?
They are three of the legion of examples of ordinary citizens stopping a mass murderer and saving countless lives.   Three of the millions of cases where guns have saved lives.
The left likes to pretend to be against gun violence and for ‘gun safety’.   So, they should also support this bill. [Pause for Laughter]
This is an important step for preserving liberty and true gun safety, we need you to voice your support of this life of death issue.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
Unfortunately, we don’t live in the wondrous ‘Utopia’ of the liberty grabber left, where unicorns prance over rainbows and mass murderers are stopped by absurd rules that only disarm the innocent.
This is why you must urge NC House Republicans to support this life saving legislation.  EMAIL NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS: Tell them clearly that they need to support this important piece of legislation.
The shooting 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.

Use the copy and paste addresses below.
PHONE REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIP & YOUR GOP REP: Urge them to support this important piece of legislation that will ensure our safety.


PHONE MESSAGE:

My name is ______ and I’m calling to urge you to support HOUSE BILL 652, Expanding our common sense human right of self-defense in places of worship.  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  NC House:  
Dean.Arp@ncleg.net;Kristin.Baker@ncleg.net;  Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.net;John.Bell@ncleg.net;Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net;William.Brisson@ncleg.net;Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net;Jerry.Carter@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net;Kevin.Corbin@ncleg.net;Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net;Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net;Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net;John.Fraley@ncleg.net;Edward.Goodwin@ncleg.net; Holly.Grange@ncleg.net;Destin.Hall@ncleg.net;Kyle.Hall@ncleg.net; Bobby.Hanig@ncleg.net;Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net;Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net;Julia.Howard@ncleg.net;Chris.Humphrey@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net;Frank.Iler@ncleg.net;Steve.Jarvis@ncleg.net; Jake.Johnson@ncleg.net;Brenden.Jones@ncleg.net;Perrin.Jones@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net;David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net;Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net;Jeffrey.McNeely@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net;Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Larry.Potts@ncleg.net;Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net;Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; David.Rogers@ncleg.net;Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net;Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Wayne.Sasser@ncleg.net;John.Sauls@ncleg.net;Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net;Carson.Smith@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net;Larry.Strickland@ncleg.net;John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net;Harry.Warren@ncleg.net;Donna.White@ncleg.net; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net;Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net;

Phone Republican Leaders and Your Rep:
Rep. Tim Moore (Speaker): 704-739-1221 Rep. John R. Bell (Maj. Leader): 919-715-3017 Rep. Jon Hardister (Maj. Whip): 919-733-5191 Rep. David Lewis:  910-897-8100
Phone your own Republican Rep: CLICK HERE to 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 HOUSE BILL 652   Dear Representative,   I’m writing to urge you to support HOUSE BILL 652 that will expand the ability for ordinary citizens to carry concealed on educational property that is the location of both a school and a place of religious worship.
Recent tragedies have shown that a good guy or gal with a gun are 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,  

Davidson County Becomes 10th NC County To Adopt 2A Resolution (Update)

The Davidson County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0 tonight to adopt a resolution declaring the county a “Second Amendment Protected County”. Davidson thus become the tenth county in the state to adopt a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution or the equivalent.

Resolution – Second Amendment Protection 1-14-20 v3 by jpr9954 on Scribd

In similar news, the North Carolina House Republican Caucus have adopted a letter stating that they support the cities and counties in Virginia that have declared themselves Second Amendment Sanctuaries. By extension, that would also include these NC counties that have done likewise.

From Freshman Majority Leader Steve Jarvis (R-Davidson) on Facebook:

The signers of the letter include Speaker Tim Moore and Majority Leader John Bell Freshman Majority Leader Steve Jarvis as well as 47 other members. Representative Kidwell will attend a rally on January 20th where he and several other members of the North Carolina House of Representatives including Rep Michael Speciale (Craven) and Rep Bobby Hanig (Currituck) will present the letter to the members of the Virginia legislature. “It is our hope that we can impress upon the Virginia legislature the importance of protecting the rights of the people they represent”. Said Rep. Kidwell. As stated in the letter, North Carolina and Virginia have stood together beginning with the revolution, and it is the hope of the signers of this letter of support that we will continue to stand with the citizens as their rights are being attacked in much the same way they were under colonial rule.

UPDATE: Allison Lee Isley of the Winston-Salem Journal has posted a series of photos from the Davidson County commissioners meeting. It looks like there was a good crowd there supporting the Second Amendment Protected County resolution.

The photos can be seen here.

The Dispatch of Davidson County had this comment at the hearing from a social studies teacher. It is not what one might expect to hear in other parts of the country.

Daniel Watson, a social studies teacher with the Davidson County School System, said there did not need to be a discussion on whether to pass the resolution.

“We just went through the Bill of Rights and if my kids can understand it, I expect this board could understand it,” Watson said. “If they come for the Second Amendment, the First Amendment is right behind it. It is what gives the First Amendment its teeth. If they take our guns, they take our freedom and you better believe your Bible is next. … The founding fathers are rolling over in their grave because we have to have a discussion about this.”

A Jim Crow Law Loved By NC Sheriffs And The Demanding Moms

The North Carolina pistol purchase permit is an archaic law that has its roots in segregation. As I’ve written many a time about its history, the law was designed to keep blacks, populists, and union leaders disarmed and at the mercy of the KKK and racist Democrats. It is still supported by the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and the gun prohibitionists.

The permit came to fore again as the NCSA tried to hijack a bill concerning church security to increase the price for a pistol purchase permit and, oh yes, include the “good moral conduct” requirement in our concealed handgun permits. The time for permit to go is long gone by. Why we even have a law on the books that was implicitly meant to discriminate against one race is beyond me.

Grass Roots North Carolina agrees and is saying it is time again to contact your legislators to demand this archaic, racist, and ineffectual law be eliminated. I agree.

A RACIST LAW NEEDS TO END



The
latest round of shenanigans by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association
and our state legislature leave no doubt that the only proper course of
action
is to put North Carolina’s racist Jim Crow-era pistol purchase
permitting in the trash bin.


Enacted during the Jim
Crow era as a way to prevent African Americans from purchasing handguns,
North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit system has long been sold as a
“public safety measure,” when it is anything but. Not only did it give
sheriffs wide latitude to deny someone the right to purchase a
handgun, but it also creates a dangerous safety loophole that allow
criminals to circumvent point-of-sale background checks.

The right to keep and bear arms can never be subject to the
whims of elected officials, and Grass Roots North Carolina has worked
tirelessly to ensure that the permitting process (like the concealed
handgun permitting process) remains “shall issue” (meaning that a
sheriff can not arbitrarily deny a permit.) The well-funded anti-freedom
movement has worked hard to perpetuate this racism under the auspices
of
“public safety,” and it’s now clear that the North Carolina Sheriffs’
Association pays the same lip service to the second amendment as does
the proliferation of Bloomberg-funded anti-gun astroturf groups.


Here’s the irony: the pistol purchase permits create
a massive loophole for criminals to purchase firearms through legitimate
channels of commerce. A pistol purchase permit is good for 5 years, and
there
is absolutely no mechanism in place through which a permit can be
revoked if the bearer becomes, for instance, a convicted felon. The
permit allows
the purchaser to completely circumvent the NICS FBI background check
normally done at the point of sale.

A
racist law
that makes us less safe … one has to wonder why some politicians and
the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association keep supporting this terrible
legislation. Is it the profit motive for the sheriffs? Is it the mere
desire for control? Do these groups want criminals to get
guns?

Isn’t it time that our politicians and the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association speak up and tell us the
truth?

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!



  • POINT: Send an email to the Republican members of the NC Senate letting them know exactly how you feel about the
    Pistol Purchase Permit.

  • 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.
CONTACT INFO

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Repeal NC’s Racist Jim Crow Pistol Purchase Permit NOW!”  
Dear Senators:
I write this letter to you today to demand that you work to repeal North Carolina’s
racist, Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permitting system.


The pistol
purchase permit system provides
criminals with a dangerous loophole: since there is no mechanism for a
Sheriff to revoke a pistol purchase permit, someone could be convicted
of a
felony and still circumvent the NICS background check with a pistol
purchase permit in hand. Furthermore, we have seen how deeply-pocketed
special
interests like Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun organizations and the North
Carolina Sheriffs’ Association will try to further their elitist agenda
with
the same capriciousness that Jim Crow-era sheriffs used the pistol
purchase permitting process to deny African Americans the right to keep
and
bear arms.

North Carolina is no place
for dangerous, racist legislation like this, and the people of this
state
deserve nothing less than a full repeal of this Jim Crow law.

I will be monitoring your actions on this issue
closely through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully,

What Is Good Moral Character?

North Carolina HB110 and SB90 as currently written were meant to allow the protection of a religious congregation that rented a school building for their services. It was even titled, “The Religious Assembly Security and
6 Protection Act of 2019.” It would allow those with a concealed handgun permit to carry a handgun on school property after school hours while in a building used for religious services. In other words, a person could serve as church security.

The NC Senate Judiciary Committee in its infinite wisdom is proposing to gut the bill and change it into one dealing with pistol purchase permits and concealed handgun permits. It would change the cost of a pistol purchase permit from $5 to $25 but would now allow unlimited numbers of purchases on the same permit for five years. That proposal has the anti-rights forces such as NCGV in an uproar because there was no limit on how many handguns you could buy with one background check.

More importantly, the proposed committee substitute would apply the same “good moral character” requirement for a pistol purchase permits (now called a Class B Handgun Permit) to the NC Concealed Handgun Permit. What is good moral character? We don’t know because it is such an amorphous phrase. It is right up there with “justifiable need” as many May-Issue permit states use as a criteria. Does someone who writes angry letters to the editor or has a Confederate flag hanging in their basement lack good moral character? Would an avowed atheist be considered to lack good moral character if the local sheriff was a deacon in his or her fundamentalist church?

The proposed committee substitute which isn’t even published on the General Assembly’s website is being pushed by the North Carolina Sheriffs Association and their director Eddie Caldwell. It is a power move on their part as all revenue from all permits would now go to the sheriff rather than being shared with the NC Department of Public Safety. Thanks to dedicated volunteers in Grass Roots North Carolina who keep their ear to the ground we even know about this PCS. The staff attorney prepared this bare bones summary which omits the key issue regarding the good moral character requirement.

This proposed committee substitute must be stopped as it would convert our shall-issue permit into a may-issue permit through the “good moral character” requirement. Grass Roots North Carolina has prepared the following alert asking people to both call and write the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as Republican leaders and say NO.

SHERIFFS GRAB POWER
TO DENY
PERMITS


Links for social media:
https://tinyurl.com/y3w7syp9

OR

https://www.grnc.org/defend-your-rights/recent-grnc-alerts/1068-senate-republicans-to-gut-concealed-carry

This is not a drill, and this is not a joke. Republicans in Raleigh are in the process of
gutting NC’s “shall issue” concealed carry permit application structure…



Regarding
concealed carry permit (CHP) applications, we are furious (yes, furious ) to be forced to announce that the
Republicans you sent
to Raleigh have snuck language into the Proposed Committee Substitute
(PCS) of a bill that would, in essence, transform North Carolina from a
“SHALL ISSUE” state into a “MAY
ISSUE”
state
.


We at GRNC are incensed and you ought to be as well. As you know, GRNC engineered
NC’s “shall
issue” concealed carry law in 1995. Since then, GRNC has been
instrumental in greatly improving it with restaurant carry, limited
school/campus carry and more. We’re not about to stand by and watch a
naked power grab by NC’s sheriffs, aided by Republican senators, roll
back all
of our progress
.

Are You of “Good Moral Character?”

Last week, in Raleigh, Republicans snuck new language into a PCS for Senate Bill S90 (“Protect Religious
Meeting Places”) (=H110),
and
it’s worth noting that, initially, S90 was not even written to deal with
the concealed carry application process. It’s also worth noting
that before the poisonous PCS, S90 was a promising pro-gun bill.

Yet, the PCS language strips “shall issue” status from the people and confers
“may issue” power to your county sheriff
. According to the
PCS, a sheriff can deny CHPs by claiming applicants are not of
“Good Moral Character,” the same shameful Jim Crow-era language that
still exists on Pistol Purchase Permit applications, which GRNC has
been fighting to eliminate.

And you’ve probably guessed already: there is no strict definition for “good moral
character
,” and truly, no definition would suffice in this context anyway. Therefore
(and
conveniently), lacking “good moral character,” grounds for denying a
CHP, is an open-ended label that any sheriff could attach to any
applicant for any reason
.

Shifting Power from Citizen to Sheriff

Lest you wonder, “good moral character” has nothing
to do with an applicant’s criminal history. Exhaustive,
indeed intrusive, criminal and medical background checks, and (de facto)
long waiting periods are already part of the CHP application process.
The sheriff’s personal, subjective and nebulous analysis of your character can have no legitimate purpose.
The only
clear purpose of this language in S90’s PCS is to take power away from
you, the law-abiding citizen, and hand it to your county sheriff to lord
over you, so he can withhold your rights at will.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “Sheriffs would never
use this new power to deny permits to qualified people.”
Yet, if they’d never use their newfound power, why enshrine it in our
state’s laws? It can have only one purpose, and if there is no
intention to use it (now or later), it would not have been proposed as
substitute language for S90.

What You Can Do
Are you
prepared to live in a state that treats gun rights the way California
does—like “gun privileges?” Are you ready to cede your Natural rights to
your county’s sheriff, so he can ration them back to
you as he sees fit? If not, please join other gun rights supporters in
putting an immediate halt to this attack on your gun rights (from the
Republicans no less!). Once again, we must remind these politicians who “brung ‘em” to the dance, and it looks like
we’ll have to be more stern than usual
.

Below, see how you can easily contact
Senate Judiciary Committee members (and Sen. Berger) to tell them,
emphatically, that any vote, indeed any support whatsoever, for S90’s Proposed Committee Substitute will be considered a severe and
blatant anti-gun action
! 

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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!



  • EMAIL MEMBERS OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Use the copy/paste email list provided below and the copy/paste text provided
    under ‘Deliver This Message. 

  • PHONE REPUBLICAN LEADERS &
    YOUR SENATOR
    :
    This is serious and so phone calls to committee chairs and to your own senator
    are just as important as sending an email message. Call today and leave a message; call Monday and call Tuesday. That’s how important this
    is
    . Please use the phone numbers provided below to contact
    Judiciary Committee leaders. Also, please call your own senator (find
    contact
    details below). When you reach each senator’s office, tell him or her:

    I
    am a gun rights voter, and I am enraged that
    Republicans are seeking to force a huge step backwards for gun rights in
    our state. The ostensibly pro-gun party should be ashamed to be
    identified as
    the party that introduced Senate Bill 90’s PCS language, which would
    grant “may issue” power to sheriffs for Concealed Carry
    Permits, stripping citizens of the unalienable portion of unalienable rights. Any Senator supporting this PCS will be considered
    anti-gun, and will pay at the polls. Thank you.
  • ATTEND TUESDAY’S COMMITTEE HEARING: The presence of gun rights voters at this meeting is critical. Committee members must know that we see what
    they’re trying to do, and that we’re serious about stopping them. Please attend Tuesday’s committee
    meeting
    . You may have an opportunity to speak, so arrive early in case you need to sign up. Find details below.

  • 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.

NC Senate Judiciary Committee, Copy/Paste Email List:
Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Dan.Blue@ncleg.net;
Danny.Britt@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Jim.Burgin@ncleg.net;
Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net;
Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Toby.Fitch@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net;
Rick.Horner@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Jeff.Jackson@ncleg.net;
Natasha.Marcus@ncleg.net; Mujtaba.Mohammed@ncleg.net;
Paul.Newton@ncleg.net; Terry.VanDuyn@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net

Senate Member Phone
Senator
Danny Britt, Jr.
Senate Judiciary Committee Co-chair
(919) 733-5651
Senator Warren Daniel
Senate
Judiciary Committee Co-chair
(919) 715-7823
Senator Phil Berger
Senate President Pro Tempore
(919) 733-5708
Please call your senator, too.

Need name/contact information?
Click Here and select the ‘NC
Senate
‘ option to find your senator.

Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee

Attend to Stop the Gutting of Concealed Carry
WHEN:  Tuesday, June 18, 2019, 10:00 am
WHERE:  NCGA Legislative Building
Room
1124/1224
16 West Jones Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
IMPORTANT

NOTES:
Please arrive early to allow extra time to park and to get through building security. 60 minutes early is
recommended.
Please dress for the press. Business attire preferred. Please no inflammatory slogans on clothing or
otherwise.
Please bring a roll-up paper sign with the following message on it:

“SENATOR BERGER: DON’T GUT CONCEALED CARRY”

DELIVER THIS
MESSAGE

Suggested Subject: “Don’t Gut Concealed
Carry
”  
Dear
Senator:

I have just
learned of the Republican Party’s effort to transform North Carolina’s
concealed carry permit (CHP) application structure from
“shall issue” to “may issue.” I see that Senate Judiciary Committee
members have snuck language into S90’s Proposed
Committee Substitute (PCS) that would grant sheriffs unchecked power to
deny concealed carry permits to any applicant, any time, for effectively
any
reason. The PCS’s language, which poisons an otherwise pro-gun bill,
allows a sheriff to declare that an applicant, any applicant, is not of
“good moral character.” This is the same shameful Jim Crow-era language
that still exists on the Pistol Purchase Permit application,
language that ought to be removed (not added elsewhere).

Of course, “good moral character” has no
particular definition, nor would any be satisfactory given the
context. Exhaustive and intrusive background checks and (de facto) long
waiting periods are already part of the CHP application process. The
sheriff’s personal, subjective and nebulous analysis of an applicant’s
“character” has precisely zero legitimacy. Clearly, its
only purpose is to wrest power from the law-abiding citizen and hand it
to our county sheriffs to lord over the citizens, so sheriffs can
withhold
Natural rights by fiat.

This is unacceptable! I am incensed that the committee members,
especially those in the Republican Party, would even consider such an
anti-gun scheme.
North Carolina is not California, it is not New York, and gun voters
will not allow this state to transform into one of these states in the
context of
the Second Amendment.

Be
warned:
Any
favorable vote, even the slightest measure of support for S90’s PCS,
with its “good moral character” clause, will be perceived as a threat to
every gun rights voter in this state, myself included. Do not
doubt it, backing S90’s PCS will be recorded as an extreme anti-gun
action!

Put a stop to
S90’s anti-gun PCS now. I will be monitoring your actions on this
critical matter through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina

Respectfully,

UPDATE: My sources in GRNC tell me the bill has been pulled from the committee calendar. It appears the committee heard from you.

HB 86 – A Bill To Californicate North Carolina Gun Laws

House Bill 86 – Gun Violence Prevention Act – was introduced into the North Carolina House of Representatives yesterday. The date was chosen to coincide with the Parkland shootings of a year ago. The primary sponsors of the bill are Rep. Christy Clark (D-Mecklenburg), Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham), and Rep. Shelly Willingham (D-Edgecombe and Martin).

The bill is a laundry list of gun control wish items. However, having read the bill I see nothing in it that actually would reduce the criminal misuse of a firearm. Instead it impacts the legal ownership of firearms in such a way as to discourage firearms ownership.

The bill would:

  1. Require a permit for the purchase of any pistol, “assault weapon”, or long gun. I see no exemptions in the bill other than a NC CHP for receipt of a firearm. In other words, as a Curios and Relics FFL I would still need a permit or my CHP to receive a firearm.
  2. Imposes a 3-day waiting period after purchase “or agreement to give away or transfer, the pistol, assault weapon, or long gun.”
  3. Defines an “assault weapon” to include the usual list of ARs, AKs, etc. It does add Saiga 12 shotguns, any semiautomatic centerfire rifle that has one or more of the “evil features” such as a pistol grip or adjustable stock, any semiautomatic pistol that accepts a magazine outside of the pistol grip, semiauto shotguns that can take a detachable magazine, and those shotguns with a revolving cylinder.
  4. Modification of the pistol purchase permit to include “assault weapons” and long guns.
  5. Bans sale, possession, or carrying “assault weapons” by those under the age of 21 with certain exceptions.
  6. Bans bump stocks and trigger cranks including those possessed prior to December 1, 2019.
  7. Requires safe storage of all firearms except when being carried or used by the owner or legally authorized user. Violation is a Class A1 midemeanor and would add punitive damages in civil lawsuits.
  8. Repeal universal concealed handgun permit reciprocity. North Carolina currently accepts any out of state CCW as valid for carry within the state.
  9. Requires the reporting of any stolen firearm within 48 hours. It makes it a Class 3 misdemeanor for the first violation and a Class I felony for the second violation.
  10. Requires liability insurance for all gun owners of not less than $100,000.
  11. Limits magazine size to 15 rounds for pistols and rifles; limits shotgun magazines to 8 shells; limits shotgun tubes to no more than 8 shells. Bans “large capacity” magazines and requires all new magazines made in NC to have date of manufacture imprinted on them. Grandfathers pre-December 1, 2019 magazines so long as continuous ownership is maintained.
  12. Repeals state preemption of local firearm regulations.
  13. Mandates destruction of seized firearms.
  14. Adopts the California Roster of Handguns and adopts their testing requirements. If your handgun is not on the roster, it can only be sold to either a sheriff or a FFL. No mention of microstamping in the bill’s language though that is a feature of the California Roster.
The full bill can be read here.
Rep. Christy Clark (D-Mecklenburg), the lead primary sponsor, is a first-term representative who was one of two politicians to get the Everytown for Gun Safety endorsement in North Carolina. She was also a chapter leader for the Demanding Moms. I’m still looking over her contribution list for funding from Everytown. She was cited by the State Board of Elections for failing to properly identify donors who gave more than $50.