North Carolina

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NC House Passes Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal

February 23, 2023 by

The North Carolina House of Representatives passed HB50 yesterday on a straight party-line vote. The vote was 67 aye, 48 nay, and 5 excused. No Democrat voted for the the repeal of the pistol purchase permit.

This now goes to the Senate which has passed the repeal as part of an omnibus bill.

When this bill finally is sent to Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) for signature, you can expect a veto. The difference between last session and this session is that the rules have changed. Under the new rule of the House, the Speaker can call for an override vote at any time. This means all he has to do is make sure every Republican is there and 1-2 Democrats are absent.

I don’t know the timeline yet for when HB50 and SB51 will be reconciled.

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Liberty Doll Gets It On NC’s Pistol Purchase Permits

February 19, 2023 by 1 Comment

YouTuber Liberty Doll released a new video a couple of days ago about North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit and the drive to repeal that law. I am really happy to see someone with her following – approximately 250,000 subscribers – pick up on the efforts to pass SB 41 in the face of Democrat opposition.

There are only two clarifications that I would make after watching her video. First, only handguns currently require a purchase permit with an exemption from the requirement for those that hold NC Concealed Handgun Permits. Second, on church carry, it only applies to non-public K-12 schools that are also places of worship.

I’m not sure where Liberty Doll is located but I am glad she has joined the fight to rid North Carolina of these laws.

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Testing (Or Teasing) Something New

December 17, 2022 by 5 Comments

This post is something of a teaser. I will have full details soon after New Year’s. I had a chance to test fire a pre-production pistol on Thursday. The developer and project manager were doing torture testing of it and gave me an invite to come fire it which I did.

This was my second chance to fire the pistol. I had shot a prototype of it a few months ago.

Without going into details about the pistol or the developer, all I will say is that I think it will make a very nice compact carry pistol. One cool thing about it that I will say is that it will be produced within a couple of miles of my home.

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Observations On The Midterm Elections

November 9, 2022 by 3 Comments

The pollsters took another election on the chin. Few races turned out anywhere near what was predicted. The so-called red wave or tsunami has turned into, at best, a red rivulet. The US House may be Republican majority but it will be only so marginally. We still don’t know about the Senate. The Georgia senate runoff may be the deciding factor there.

In North Carolina, it was generally a good night for Republicans and conservatives. Rep. Tedd Budd (R-NC) defeated former Ch. Justice Cheri Beasley. He had a positive vote margin of approximately 135,000 votes. In my district, St. Sen. Chuck Edwards (R-Henderson) beat Buncombe County Commissioner Jasmine Beach-Ferrara (R) by over 30,000 votes.

In the North Carolina statewide judicial races for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals, it was a Republican sweep. Republicans will now have a 5-2 majority on the Supreme Court with the addition of Judge Richard Deitz and Trey Allen. With the US Supreme Court hearing Moore et al v. Harper et al, a case involving redistricting and the legislative prerogative, redistricting will probably come before the NC Supreme Court again.

Speaking of redistricting, the forced redistricting of Congressional districts by the NC Supreme Court resulted in a 7-7 split between Republicans and Democrats. Without this forced redistricting, it probably would have been 9-4.

The other NC results of note are that the Republicans regained a supermajority in the State Senate and are only one short in the State House. This bodes well for both the elimination of the pistol purchase permit as well as allowing church carry when the church has an attached school. Both bills were vetoed by Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) and had his veto sustained in this past session.

Moving on from NC, let’s look at Pennsylvania. I think it was widely expected that AG Josh Shapiro (D) was going to win the governorship over St. Sen. Doug Mastriano (R) and he did. It was the Senate race between Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman that got most national attention. It appears that Fetterman, damaged as he was from his stroke, has won that race by about 200,000 votes. I have looked at the results and one thing stands out to me. The PA Secretary of State’s office shows the votes on the day of the election and “mail in” votes. Fetterman got 886,217 mail in votes versus 217,932 for Oz. A 4-1 split like that is statistically suspicious in my opinion. This is especially true given that Oz had about 45,000 more election day votes than Fetterman. It just doesn’t pass the smell test.

As to Fetterman serving a full term, I’m going to go out on a limb and say he will be gone by mid-year 2023 due to “health reasons” with Shapiro then appointing a replacement to serve until Jan. 2025. I just can’t see Fetterman as being much more than a placeholder given his condition.

J. D. Vance along with Republicans in general had a good day in Ohio. They took the governorship, Vance’s senate seat, and the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court along the rest of the Council of State offices.

Oregonians decided that they wanted to stick with the leftist policies of Gov. Kate Brown and elected Tina Kotek (D) as governor. Again, polls were deceiving as it appeared that Republican Christine Drazan might have been in the lead. Also, voters barely passed anti-gun Measure 114 which contains a magazine ban as well as requirements to obtain a permit before purchasing any firearm. Multnomah County, the home of Portland, provided the most votes for it. Why am I not shocked. I foresee that this will be challenged in Federal court given the Bruen precedents.

One last observation is that former President Trump was good at pushing candidates in the primaries. He was not so good at getting candidates that could actually win a general election. If you look at both New Hampshire and Georgia, Republican governors cruised to re-election while the Trump-backed Senate candidates struggled. Bolduc lost in New Hampshire and Hershel Walker is slightly behind Warnock at they are headed to a run-off. Meanwhile in Florida, both Ron DeSantis and Marco Rubio who have been dissed by Trump won handily. I know Trump wants vindication for his 2020 loss to Joe Biden but there comes a time when you just have to suck it up and move on. Now that I’m officially a senior citizen, I think I can say we need a 2024 presidential candidate that is younger than me which automatically precludes him.

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Objection, Your Honor(s)!

October 20, 2022 by 1 Comment

Cheri Beasley, the Democrat nominee for the US Senate in North Carolina, is running the ad below incessantly. It features six retired judges all extolling the virtues of Cheri Beasley. They then attack Ted Budd saying, “he focused on what is good for him, not North Carolina.”

They say their job as judges was not about politics but about standing up for what was right. If one takes their statement at face value, then you would also have to conclude that if an attorney made that statement about Budd in any one of their courtrooms they would have ruled it out of order. It is an ad hominem attack for which they provide no supporting basis.

Unlike in many states, every judge in North Carolina runs for his or her judgeship. While some may be initially appointed to fill a vacant position, they must run for the office if they want to keep the job. Therefore, it is important to recognize that every one of those six judges was not only a jurist but a politician.

Retired Chief Justices Jim Exum and Henry Frye both served as State Representatives in the North Carolina General Assembly before becoming judges. Justice Bob Orr, a Kasich supporting “Never Trumper” who ID’s as an “independent”, ran as a Republican for governor against former Gov. Pat McCrory. Judge Carl Fox was the District Attorney for Orange County before becoming a judge. Even Judges Manning and Bryan had to play politics one way or another in order to be initially appointed as judges.

What they really object to is that Ted Budd is not a member of the club unlike Beasley. He is not a lawyer and he was never a judge unlike Beasley. To my mind, given the overabundance of lawyers in the Senate this is a plus. Beyond being a conservative and a Second Amendment supporter, Budd brings the experience of having to run a business and make payroll to the Senate.

The race is close and Beasley has a ton of out-of-state money backing her. I just voted today for Budd and will keep my fingers crossed that he wins.

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Early 1-Stop Voting Starts Tomorrow In NC (Updated)

October 19, 2022 by

Early one-stop voting starts on Thursday, October 20th, in North Carolina. The premier race is for the US Senate. It pits Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC13) against former NC Supreme Court Chief Justice Cheri Beasley. This is going to be a very, very close race as they are virtually tied.

For those who value the Second Amendment this is a critical race that we must win. On one side you have Ted Budd who not only supports gun rights but owns a gun store and range. He isn’t afraid to be seen shooting in his campaign photos and ads. You may remember I mentioned running into him at Montgomery Community College while he was touring the gunsmithing department.

BRUCE HENDERSON bhenderson@charlotteobserver.com

On the other side, Beasley is an Everytown Gunsense endorsed candidate. She also put this on her campaign website. Need I say more?

Cheri also believes that we must keep our children and communities safe by also implementing common sense gun safety measures like universal background checks, encouraging safe storage and closing loopholes to prevent domestic abusers and those with mental health issues from being able to obtain a gun. We must also do more to stop the plague of mass shootings across our communities by keeping combat-style weapons and high-capacity magazines off our streets and away from our schools. 

I have highlighted all the buzz words used by gun prohibitionists.

There are many other races as well that are just as critical ranging from Congress to the appellate judicial races to the state house and senate.

In my own Congressional district, you have self-made businessman St. Sen. Chuck Edwards who just happens to hold a FFL against Buncombe County Comm. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. While neither has made gun rights a part of their campaign, you have to know that Edwards will support gun owners and Beach-Ferrara will not. Her main campaign focus seems to be abortion where she portrays herself as a caring, pro-abortion minister. Edwards’ focus is on the economy and inflation.

Two NC Supreme Court seats are up for grabs. If the Republicans take both of them, they will then be in the majority on the court and we probably won’t get rulings overturning the vote on constitutional amendments dealing with tax reform and voter ID. While both Republican candidates are good, Judge Richard Dietz who is now on the NC Court of Appeals really stands out. He has argued the Abramski case before the US Supreme Court. While he unfortunately lost, we know he is pro-Second Amendment and pro-self defense.

The other seat has Justice Sam J. Ervin IV (D) versus Trey Allen (R) who serves as the General Counsel for the Administrative Office of the Courts. I met Jimmy Ervin (who now goes by Sam) years ago when in college. He and I were both heads of our respective chapters of College Democrats. (Yes, I was young, stupid, and a Democrat at one time.) Despite his Harvard Law degree, he never has been seen as one of those brilliant lawyers who must be on the bench. What he does have is a famous last name. Grandpa (Sam Jr) served like Jimmy on the NC Supreme Court and as a US Senator while Daddy (Sam III) served as a NC Superior Court judge and on the US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. We don’t have hereditary rights to office in this country though it seems that the sons and grandsons of politicians often “inherit” a seat. He is running an “aw, shucks” kind of ad saying he works to balance the law and the facts. If that was really the case, then he would have broken with the Democrat majority on the NC Supreme Court in voting down voter ID.

In the State House and Senate, if the Republicans can flip just a handful of seats, they will regain their super-majority. In terms of gun rights, this would mean the end of the Jim Crow era pistol purchase permit who Gov. Roy Cooper (D) vetoed.

To see where the legislative candidates – state and Federal – stand on gun rights, Grass Roots North Carolina has their candidate evaluations posted. You can search by name or by district. The GRNC-Political Victory Fund recommendations have been released and have gone out by email. As soon as I get a link to it, I will post it. One thing I should note, if a candidate didn’t have a voting record and didn’t return the GRNC survey they are rated zero stars. For the life of me, I cannot understand Republican candidates who just ignore the survey. You don’t have to be great; you only have to better than the Democrat.

The Judicial Fairness Project has their recommendations posted for NC appellate level judges. These are candidates who have pledged to uphold originalist interpretations of the Constitution.

One thing I heard at the recent Gun Rights Policy Conference was that over 30% of gun owners don’t bother voting. Just imagine if the majority of them did vote and voted for gun rights.

UPDATE: I now have an updated link to the Grass Roots North Carolina – Political Victory Fund candidate recommendations for the General Election.

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GRNC-PVF Releases NC Primary Recommendations

April 18, 2022 by

The Grass Roots North Carolina – Political Victory Fund has released their recommendations for the May primary. As a reminder, GRNC-PVF makes recommendations – not endorsements – after reviewing each candidate’s response to their questionnaire as well as their past voting record (if any). Unlike some organizations like the NRA-PVF, it does not automatically give a preference to incumbents.

They only make recommendations when there is a contested primary. Moreover, if a candidate blows off the questionnaire, they get a 0* rating.

From the GRNC-PVF release that came out last night:

2022 GRNC-PVF Candidate Recommendations(Listings include only districts with primary races)


Candidate recommendations versus evaluations: Below are recommendations for effective voting strategies by the Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. Candidate recommendations, which are more limited than blanket “endorsements,” are not made in all races, only in races where a clear pro-gun candidate stands out or where strategic voting is necessary to keep anti-gun candidates out of office. Note that in most cases, even pro-gun candidates are not included unless they have a primary election challenger.Recommendations differ from GRNC candidate evaluations. While the evaluations are intended to provide an objective measure of where candidates stand on Second Amendment issues, GRNC–PVF recommendations are analytical and therefore subject to interpretation. For a full explanation of GRNC’s objective star evaluations, go to: 2022 Candidate EvaluationsImportant notes:

1.       Candidates who lack voting records or other history on Second Amendment issues and who fail to return GRNC’s candidate survey automatically receive a 0-star evaluation on the assumption that they are hiding their position from gun voters. Every election year, we receive complaints about ostensibly pro-gun candidates who receive zero star evaluations due to failure to return the survey. Each candidate is mailed a survey to the address he or she registered with the State Board of Elections. If they fail to return the survey, we cannot help candidates who will not help themselves.

2.       GRNC-PVF candidate recommendations generally are NOT blanket endorsements. We have analyzed nearly 200 races across the state. Unless otherwise stipulated, GRNC does not evaluate candidates on issues other than support for the Second Amendment. A GRNC-PVF recommendation does NOT reflect the candidate’s stance on other issues, and it does not reflect likelihood of winning a given race. The recommendation is merely our estimate of which candidate in a given race is most pro-gun.

3.       GRNC-PVF candidate recommendations are not given in all races. They are given only for races in which there are clear differences between the Second Amendment stances of candidates and are generally not provided for races in which a candidate is unopposed.

4.       Candidate evaluation listings: After each candidate’s name, his or her voting record (if applicable) or survey score is placed in parentheses along with their GRNC star evaluation (e.g. ****). “NR” indicates the candidate refused to return GRNC’s survey. If the candidate lacks a voting record, he or she gets a 0-star evaluation on the presumption that they are hiding their position.

5.       Recommended candidates: Recommended candidates’ names are printed in bold, upper case font (e.g. JOE SMITH).

Voter deadlines and instructions:
►        April 22: Deadline for voter registration or to update registration (e.g. for an address change). Click here for details. To check your voter registration, click here. Note: If you are registered as “unaffiliated,” you may vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary election.
►        April 28: Primary election One Stop Early Voting begins. Click here for details. Click here to find your One Stop Early Voting place.
►        May 10 at 5:00 PM: Last day to submit an absentee ballot request form. Click here for information on voting by mail.
►        May 14 at 3:00 PM: One Stop Early Voting ends.
►        May 17, 2022, 6:30 AM – 7:30 PM: Primary Election Day: Click here to find your polling place on Election Day.

GRNC-PVF CANDIDATE RECOMMENDATIONS

FEDERAL RACES

US SENATE (R)To replace retiring Sen. Richard Burr, the clear standout for gun voters in the race is Rep. TED BUDD (GRNC ****). Not only was Budd a Life member of GRNC long before running for Congress, he is also a gun shop owner. More importantly, he has compiled the best record on Second Amendment issues of any legislator in the NC delegation to Congress, including a 100% pro-gun voting record and co-sponsorship of several pro-gun bills. Budd and Rep. Dan Bishop have the distinction of being the only members of the NC delegation to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act because it contained “red flag” gun confiscation for military members.  By contrast, opponent Pat McCrory (GRNC ***) is a RINO (“Republican in Name Only”) of the first order who has used a variety of false accusations to attack Budd. Worse, North Carolinians are still saddled with our Jim Crow era pistol purchase permit law – which urban sheriffs are using to obstruct handgun purchases – thanks to McCrory. In 2013, as governor, he threatened to veto omnibus pro-gun House Bill 937 unless the purchase permit repeal was removed from the bill.

Although some gun voters have supported Mark Walker in the race, he has no chance of winning the Republican nomination and acts principally as a spoiler by siphoning off votes needed by Budd to defeat McCrory. In this race, GRNC-PVF strongly recommends you vote for TED BUDD.

US HOUSE

Unfortunately, we are dealing with congressional districts imposed on us by the “special masters” which the Democrat-controlled NC Supreme Court selected to redraw districts after rejecting those drawn by the Republican-controlled legislature. Despite our Republican-leaning state, the “special masters” drew districts which, in normal election years, would yield 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, effectively costing Republicans two seats. Given that NC picked up a congressional seat and that districts are new, the following analysis will also contain the partisan leaning of each district.

District 1 (R): In this Democrat-leaning (D+5) district, the Republican primary features 8 candidates, only three of which returned GRNC’s candidate survey: SANDY ROBERSON (100%, ****), SANDY SMITH (100%, ****), and BILLY STRICKLAND (100%, ****). Given identical survey scores and GRNC evaluations, GRNC-PVF can only recommend that you pick one of the three.

District 2: In this solidly Democrat (D+13) district, no Republican returned the GRNC survey. The seat is currently held by anti-gun Democrat Deborah Ross (0-star). GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this district.

District 3 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+12) district, incumbent Greg Murphy (****) faces a field of four Republican challengers in which Brian Michael Friend and George J. Papastrat, returned the GRNC survey with scores of 93 and 91, respectively, giving both 4-star (****) evaluations. Because Murphy has dropped two gun votes in recent sessions of Congress, GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in the district.

District 4 (R): In what is the most Democrat district in NC (D+16), perennial anti-gun Democrat David Price retired, but with no less than 8 0-star Democrats vying to replace him, things in the district are not likely to improve. That said, in the race for the Republican nomination, GRNC-PVF recommends ROBERT THOMAS (GRNC survey: 98%, ****) over Courtney Geels (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 

District 5 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+10) district, GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent VIRGINIA FOXX (****) over challenger Michael Ackerman (survey: NR, 0-star), but notes that Foxx has dropped gun votes in recent sessions of Congress and should be watched carefully.

District 6 (R): In this Democrat-leaning (D+6) district, 7 Republicans are vying for the nomination to face anti-gun incumbent Kathy Manning (0-star). Mary Ann Contogiannis, Lee Haywood, William (Bill) Schuch, and Laura Pichardo returned GRNC’s survey, scoring 100, 98, 91 and 73, respectively. On the basis of Haywood’s history of conservative political activism, GRNC-PVF recommends LEE HAYWOOD. 

District 7 (R): In this Republican-leaning (R+5) district, incumbent David Rouzer (pro-gun votes: 93%, ****) faces Max Southworth-Beckwith (GRNC survey: 98%, ****). Based on Rouzer’s long history of pro-gun votes, GRNC-PVF recommends DAVID ROUZER, but cautions that Rouzer did drop one vote in the current session of Congress.

District 8 (R): In this solidly Republican (R+17) district, incumbent Dan Bishop (pro-gun votes: 96%, ****) does not face a primary challenger, but deserves kudos for voting against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) because it contained “red flag” gun confiscation measures for military personnel. Among the NC delegation, only Bishop and Rep. Ted Budd had the guts to vote against the NDAA.

District 9 (R): In the most neutral of Republican-leaning (R+3) districts drawn, incumbent Richard Hudson (pro-gun votes: 82%, ****) faces 3 challengers, including Mike Andriani (GRNC survey 100%, ****) and Francisco Rios (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Given two 4-star challengers and the fact that Hudson has dropped two gun votes in recent sessions of Congress, GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this primary.

District 10 (R): In NC’s most Republican congressional district (R+19) Congressman Patrick McHenry (pro-gun votes: 92%, ****) faces four primary challengers. McHenry has been a friend of gun owners ever since his service in the NC House, including his effort to ensure passage of a clean concealed handgun reciprocity bill. Therefore, we are deeply concerned that Rep. McHenry recently dropped the NDAA vote described above. Owing to his long history of service to gun owners, GRNC-PVF continues to recommend PATRICK MCHENRY, but notes that with a primary featuring pro-gun Jeff Gregory (GRNC survey: 98%, GRNC ****), Congressman McHenry needs to focus on avoiding the inherently corrupting influences of incumbency.

District 11 (R): The Republican primary for this Republican-leaning (R+5) district is a slugfest featuring 7 Republican challengers to incumbent Republican Madison Cawthorn (pro-gun votes: 89%, ****). Cawthorn has made a series of gaffs, including being reprimanded by Republican leadership, which damage his legislative effectiveness. Combined with dropping the NDAA vote in his first term in office (he says he voted for it knowing the red flag language would be stripped in the Senate), gun voters in the district should consider replacing him. That replacement should NOT, however, be Wendy Marie-Limbaugh Nevarez, whom leftist Democrat Moe Davis (defeated by Cawthorn in 2020) recruited and for whom he is recruiting Democrats to change registration to vote for her. Challengers Rod Honeycutt and Michele V. Woodhouse both scored 100 on GRNC’s survey, earning 4-star evaluations, but the standout is Rep. CHUCK EDWARDS (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****), who is not only a federally licensed gun dealer, but has a 100% voting record in the NC House Senate and has helped GRNC pass pro-gun legislation through the legislature. GRNC-PVF recommends CHUCK EDWARDS. 

District 12: In this D+14 Democrat district, none of the 3 Republican challengers completed GRNC’s survey, giving all of them 0-star evaluations. But it doesn’t really matter because none of them can defeat ensconced leftist Democrat Alma Adams (0-star). 

District 13 (R): The race for this open seat in the most competitive “swing” (D+1) district in the state features no less than 8 Republicans, 5 of which refused to return GRNC’s survey, earning them the lowest 0-star evaluation. The three 4-star Republicans are Renee Ellmers, DeVan Barbour, and Bo Hines. In previous service in the US House, Ellmers proved to be a disappointment. Trump has endorsed Hines, but some Johnston County Republicans object that he hasn’t lived in the district. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

District 14: In this new, Democrat-leaning (D+6) district, the only candidate to return the GRNC survey was Jonathan Simpson, who scored only 79, earning a poor 2-star (**) evaluation. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

STATE RACES

NC JUDICIAL RACES The redistricting debacle, in which activist Democrats on the NC Supreme Court invented reasons to reduce the number of conservatives NC sends to Washington, emphasizes why Second Amendment voters MUST vote in judicial elections. Two seats on the NC Supreme Court and four on the NC Court of Appeals will be on the ballot in the state’s 2022 elections with majority control up for grabs in on each court. In particular, Republicans stand an excellent chance of reversing the 4-3 majority currently held by Democrats.

NC Supreme Court Seat 3: For this open seat, there are no primaries for either Republican or Democrat nominations. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Dietz will face Court of Appeals Judge Lucy Inman in November. Despite the lack of primaries, however, GRNC-PVF strongly recommends Judge RICHARD DIETZ, who is a strong originalist and constitutionalist who respects the Second Amendment and has argued gun rights before the US Supreme Court.

NC Supreme Court Seat 5: The race for this seat features two Republicans vying for the nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Justice Same Ervin IV. The Republicans are Trey Allen, who previously clerked for conservative Chief Justice Paul Newby, and Court of Appeals Judge April Wood. Either Allen or Wood would likely be good on the court. However, if Wood won the race for NC Supreme Court, leftist Democrat Governor Roy Cooper would appoint a Democrat to replace her on the Court of Appeals, potentially shifting control of the Appeals Court to Democrats. For this reason, GRNC-PVF recommends TREY ALLEN for the Republican nomination. 

NC Court of Appeals Seat 9 (Stroud seat): Although GRNC-PVF has supported incumbent Republican Donna Stroud in past elections, she faces District Court Judge Beth Freshwater-Smith, who is a stronger constitutionalist and Second Amendment supporter, in the Republican primary. GRNC-PVF recommends Judge BETH FRESHWATER-SMITH. 

NC Court of Appeals Seat 11 (Jackson seat): In 2020, Gov. Cooper appointed former NC House Rep. Darren Jackson (GRNC 0-star) to a vacant seat which is now up for re-election. Jackson is an anti-gun leftist with only a 7% pro-gun voting record in the House. Republicans Charlton Allen and District Court Judge Michael Stading are vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Jackson. Because Stading is a strong constitutionalist who respects the Second Amendment, GRNC-PVF recommends Judge MICHAEL STADING.

NC SENATE 
District 01 (R): In a district which found two Republicans “double bunked,” GRNC-PVF recommends NORMAN SANDERSON (pro-gun voting record: 100%, ****) over Bob Steinburg (pro-gun voting record: 84%, ***).  
District 04 (R): This race represents a rare opportunity for gun voters. In the Republican primary for NC Senate District 4, the GRNC-PVF strongly recommends BUCK NEWTON (pro-gun voting record: 100%, GRNC ****). In previous NC Senate service, Newton was a gun rights leader who wrote and sponsored numerous pro-gun bills. Meanwhile, opponent Joe DeMocko (GRNC survey: NR, GRNC 0-star) refused to return GRNC’s candidate survey, suggesting that he doesn’t want you to know where he stands on the Second Amendment. In this race, Newton is the clear choice.
District 05 (D): In this D+8 district, GRNC-PVF recommends LENTON CREDELLE BROWN (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Kandie D. Smith (NC House pro-gun voting record: 25%, 0-star).
District 10 (R): In this R+11 district, GRNC-PVF recommends BENTON SAWREY (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Matt Ansley and Jill Homan (both GRNC surveys: NR, 0-star).
District 12 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent JIM BURGIN (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over challengers David Buboltz and Ernie Watson (both GRNC surveys: NR, 0-star).
District 13 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DAVID BANKERT (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Jeff Werner (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 18 (R): In this race, E.C. Sykes (GRNC survey: 95%, ****) and Dimitry Slabyak (GRNC survey: 93%, ****) both earned 4-star evaluations. Consequently, GRNC-PVF makes no recommendation in this race.
District 19 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends WESLEY MEREDITH (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Dennis Britt (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) due to Meredith’s voting record and history of bill sponsorship in previous NC Senate service.
District 30 (R): In this rematch, Steve Jarvis (****) and incumbent Eddie Gallimore (****) have both returned GRNC surveys (with 98% and 97%, respectively), both have 100% pro-gun voting records, and sponsored pro-gun legislation in the past (Gallimore in the NC Senate, Jarvis in the NC House). However, Gallimore is the more devoted Second Amendment supporter. GRNC-PVF recommends EDDIE GALLIMORE.
District 36 (R): Shirley Blackburn Randleman (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****), Lee Zachary (pro-gun votes: 87%, ****) and Eddie Settle (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) have all earned 4-star evaluations. However, GRNC-PVF recommends SHIRLEY BLACKBURN RANDLEMAN due to her 100% voting record in previous senate service.
District 37 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends VICKIE SAWYER (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Tom Fyler (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 42 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends SCOTT STONE (pro-gun votes in previous service: 100%, ****) over Cheryl Russo (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 46 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends WARREN DANIEL (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Mark Crawford (GRNC survey: 98%, ****).
District 47(R): An unfortunate race in which two pro-gun Republicans have been “double bunked.” Both Deanna Ballard (****) and Ralph Hise (****) have 100% pro-gun voting records. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.

NC HOUSE
District 5 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DONALD KIRKLAND (GRNC survey: 92%, ****) over Bill Ward (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 6 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends MURRAY SIMPKINS (GRNC survey: 99%, ****) over Joe Pike (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 9 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends TONY MOORE (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) over Timothy Reeder(GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 13 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends either PETE BENTON (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) or CELESTE CAIRNS (GRNC survey: 100%, ****), but not Eden Gordon Hill (survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 14 (R): Incumbent George Cleveland is one of the few long-term stalwart Second Amendment defenders of the NC House, with a 100% voting record and repeated 100% survey score, more than earning a GRNC 4-star evaluation (****). GRNC-PVF strongly recommends GEORGE CLEVELAND over challenger Debbie Burke (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 25 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends ALLEN CHESSER (survey: 99%, ****) over Yvonne McLeod (survey: 87%, ***) or Alsey Heth Hopkins (survey: NR, 0-star).
District 26 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent DONNA MCDOWELL WHITE (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over challenger Rick Walker (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 28 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends LARRY STRICKLAND (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over James Davenport (GRNC survey: 79%, **). 
District 35 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends FRED VON CANON (GRNC survey 92%, ****) over Brandon Panameno (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 43 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DIANE WHEATLEY (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Clarence W. Goins, Jr. (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) due to Wheatley’s demonstrated voting record.
District 47 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends JARROD LOWERY (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Mickey Biggs (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 52 (R): In another unfortunate double-bunking of Republicans with good voting records, GRNC-PVF recommends BEN MOSS (pro-gun votes: 100%, GRNC ****) over Jamie Boles (pro-gun votes: 95%, ****). 
District 53 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends HOWARD PENNY, JR. (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Brian Hawley (GRNC survey: 100%, ****).
District 54 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends CRAIG KINSEY (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Walter Petty (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 55 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends MARK BRODY (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Brandon Smith (GRNC survey: 96%, ****). 
District 63 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends STEPHEN ROSS (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over Ed Priola (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) or Peter Boykin (GRNC survey: 95%, ****).
District 65 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends A. REECE PYRTLE, JR. (GRNC survey: 94%, ****) over Joseph A. Gibson III (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 70 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent PAT B. HURLEY (pro-gun votes: 94%, ****) over challenger Brian Biggs (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 73 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends PARISH MOFFITT (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Catherine Whiteford (GRNC survey: 88%, ***) and Brian Echevarria (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 78 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends CORY BORTREE (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over David Ashley (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Neal Jackson (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 79 (R): GRNC-PVF strongly recommends incumbent KEITH KIDWELL (pro-gun votes: 100%) over challenger Ed Hege (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Kidwell has been a leader for gun rights, sponsoring numerous pro-gun bills.
District 83 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends BRAD JENKINS (GRNC survey: 100%, ****) over Kevin Crutchfield (GRNC survey: 88%, ***) and Grayson Haff (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 89 (R): Because voting record is a better measure of candidates than survey scores, GRNC-PVF recommends MITCH SETZER (pro-gun votes: 98%, ****) over Benjamin Devine (GRNC survey: 100%, ****). Kelli Weaver Moore (GRNC survey: 84%, ***).
District 90 (R): Incumbent Sarah Stevens (pro gun votes: 93%, ***) dropped votes in years past but has voted with gun owners in recent years. Challenger Benjamin Romans returned a 100% survey, earning four stars (****). GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race. 
District 91 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends incumbent KYLE HALL (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) over James Douglas (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Stephen L. James (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star).
District 109 (R): In this four-way Republican primary, Donnie Loftis is the incumbent but has no voting record because he was recently appointed to fill a vacant seat. GRNC-PVF recommends DONNIE LOFTIS (GRNC survey: 95%, ****) over Lauren Bumgardner Current (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star), John Gouch (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Ronnie Worley (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 
District 113 (R): Another unfortunate district in which redistricting double-bunked two pro-gun Republicans, Jake Johnson (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) and David Rogers (pro-gun votes: 100%, ****) have identical voting and survey scores. GRNC-PVF has no recommendation in this race.
District 117 (R): GRNC-PVF recommends DENNIS JUSTICE (GRNC survey: 96%, ****) over Jennifer Capps Balkcom (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star) and Chelsea Walsh (GRNC survey: NR, 0-star). 

This message supporting the above-named candidates was authorized and paid for solely by the Grass Roots North Carolina Political Victory Fund. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate committee.

Note – GRNC-PVF did not pay me to report their recommendations. I have reposted them as a news item.

Uncategorized

Democrats Vote To Preserve Jim Crow Law

August 18, 2021 by 2 Comments

Every Democrat in the North Carolina Senate save two voted against the repeal of the pistol purchase permit. As I and others have noted many times, the history and purpose of this bill passed in 1919 was to disarm black North Carolinians.

The only two Democrats who didn’t vote against repeal of this Jim Crow law were Sen. Don Davis (D-Greene, Pitt) who didn’t vote and Sen. Ernestine Bazemore (D-Beaufort) who had an excused absence. By contrast, every Republican supported the repeal with the exception of Sen. Bob Steinburg (R-Camden) who had an excused absence.

HB 398 had already passed the NC House of Representatives with bi-partisan support.

The bill has passed its 2nd and 3rd readings and has been enrolled. It now goes to Gov. Roy Cooper’s desk where undoubtedly he will continue the Democrat’s support of a law conceived in racism. A law that research in the North Carolina Law Review has shown still discriminates against blacks.

In a day and time when I get virtually daily emails from liberal groups denouncing Confederate statues as racist symbols and college buildings being renamed due to the segregationist past of their namesakes, I find it hard to comprehend just how strongly Democrat legislators, both white and black, cling to a law conceived in racism. Not only was it conceived in racism but the law still has a disparate impact on minorities.

I guess Democrats are more afraid of white women funded by a New York billionaire than they are of their own minority constituents. Go figure.

Uncategorized

HB 398 Coming To Vote In NC Today

August 18, 2021 by 1 Comment

HB 398, the repeal of North Carolina’s pistol purchase permit, will be coming up for a vote in the NC Senate soon today. That may even be today as it has passed both the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee. The NC House has already approved the repeal with a bipartisan majority. Undoubtedly, Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) will veto it and it will come up for an override. Pressure needs to be put on both Republicans and Democrats in the NC Senate to pass the bill and then to vote for the override.

Grass Roots North Carolina has been leading the fight on this for years. They sent out the following alert last night. I have sent my letters and I’d encourage you to do so as well. On the letter to Democrats, I added that we take down Confederate monuments as “racist” – shouldn’t we repeal a law that is actually still discriminating against blacks?

Action Vital to Repeal Purchase Permits

HB 398 to repeal our Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit law passed the Senate Rules Committee today and heads to the floor for a vote as early as tomorrow. Please contact all members of the NC Senate immediately!
In today’s committee hearing, articulate defense of the bill was provided by sponsor Rep. Jay Adams (R-Catawba), Sen. Chuck Edwards (R- Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania) and Sen. Ralph Hise (R- Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Yancey). The usual leftist whining was made by Sen. Jay Chaudhuri (D-Wake). Thanks are also due Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Rules Chair Sen. Bill Rabon for moving HB 398 in a timely fashion.
GRNC president Paul Valone testified to the committee, noting both the racist origins of the law. (which is being racially applied even today), and the fact that GRNC has so far had to sue two sheriffs to get permits issued in the 14 days required by statute even as broad scale civil unrest causes thousands of new gun owners to unsuccessfully seek permits. After his testimony, Chaudhuri commented that it was acceptable that gun owners should have to sue sheriffs merely to exercise their rights. 
As usual, Marcus and representatives of North Carolinians “Against Gun Violence” (formerly North Carolinians for Gun Control) promulgated mistruths about guns being purchased without background checks at gun shows and online sales, blithely ignoring the reality that the same laws apply in those venues as anywhere else. 
Amusingly enough, Marcus admitted the Jim Crow discriminatory origins of a law which is being used even now to disproportionately deny guns to minorities, meaning that in the interest of banning guns, Democrats are now defending racism.
Perhaps most ironic was Marcus’ claim that she is “not anti-gun” but merely “anti-violence,” which not only belied the fact that she and others like her always support restrictions on gun ownership, but also attempted to falsely cast gun rights supporters as “pro-violence.”
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IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
HB 398 Will have a probable floor vote tomorrow. Accordingly, we need you to contact all members of the NC Senate to tell them to support the bill. Please note that we are using different messages for Republicans vs. Democrats.

 Senate Republicans:  Ted.Alexander@ncleg.gov; Deanna.Ballard@ncleg.gov; Lisa.Barnes@ncleg.gov; Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov; Danny.Britt@ncleg.gov; Jim.Burgin@ncleg.gov;Kevin.Corbin@ncleg.gov; David.Craven@ncleg.gov; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.gov; Chuck.Edwards@ncleg.gov; Carl.Ford@ncleg.gov; Amy.Galey@ncleg.gov; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.gov; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.gov; Steve.Jarvis@ncleg.gov; Todd.Johnson@ncleg.gov; Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.gov; Michael.Lazzara@ncleg.gov; Michael.Lee@ncleg.gov; Tom.McInnis@ncleg.gov; Paul.Newton@ncleg.gov; Jim.Perry@ncleg.gov; Dean.Proctor@ncleg.gov;Bill.Rabon@ncleg.gov; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.gov; Vickie.Sawyer@ncleg.gov; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.gov
Senate Democrats:
Sydney.Batch@ncleg.gov; Ernestine.Bazemore@ncleg.gov; Dan.Blue@ncleg.gov; Jay.Chaudhuri@ncleg.gov; Ben.Clark@ncleg.gov; Sarah.Crawford@ncleg.gov;Don.Davis@ncleg.gov; Kirk.deViere@ncleg.gov; Toby.Fitch@ncleg.gov; Valerie.Foushee@ncleg.gov; Michael.Garrett@ncleg.gov; Jeff.Jackson@ncleg.gov; Paul.Lowe@ncleg.gov; Natasha.Marcus@ncleg.gov; Julie.Mayfield@ncleg.gov; Mujtaba.Mohammed@ncleg.gov; Natalie.Murdock@ncleg.gov; Wiley.Nickel@ncleg.gov;Gladys.Robinson@ncleg.gov; DeAndrea.Salvador@ncleg.gov; Joyce.Waddell@ncleg.gov; Mike.Woodard@ncleg.gov  
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

Message for Senate Republicans: Suggested subject: “Support HB 398: Repeal archaic permit law”   Dear Senator:
Please accept my thanks to Republicans for moving HB 398, “Repeal Purchase Permit Law,”. 
If the law is repealed, background checks for gun purchases will be done at the time of sale, rather than up to five years earlier, as under current law. In fact, the Charlotte Observer documented cases of people getting purchase permits, committing crimes, but still having permits available for use (and to bypass the National Instant Background Check System) even after becoming ineligible to purchase firearms.
This year, the North Carolina Sheriffs Association reversed its position and now supports repealing the law. With both gun rights supporters and law enforcement organizations now supporting repeal, only gun control advocates want to keep the system despite the fact that it gives criminal access to firearms.
I will be monitoring all actions on HB 398 through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.
Respectfully, Message for Senate Democrats: Suggested subject: “Support HB 398: Repeal racist permit law”
Dear Senator:
In the interest of bringing background checks into the 21st Century, I strongly urge you to support HB 398, “Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal.” The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association now supports repeal of our Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit law as “duplicative.” Meanwhile, as depicted in a recent NC Law Review paper, black applicants are being denied permits at a rate three times that of whites, revealing that racism in permit issuance continues to this day.
Moreover, sheriffs in Wake, Mecklenburg and Guilford counties are using the law to obstruct lawful citizens from obtaining handguns for self-defense, even as rising civil unrest around the country makes it more vital than ever that citizens have the means to defend their families.
Worse, an investigation by the Charlotte Observer found that pistol purchase permits, which are untraceable and valid for five years, continue to be held – and potentially used to bypass background checks – by people who subsequently become ineligible to own guns.
I strongly encourage you to support repeal of the archaic permit law, after which background checks for gun purchases will be done at the point of sale, not up to five years prior. I will continue to monitor this issue through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.
Respectfully,
Uncategorized

Gov. Cooper Continues To Put Churches At Risk

June 19, 2021 by 3 Comments

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.