The picture of the day is of Speaker Tim Moore (R-NC) who is posing with the official copy of SB 41 signed and stamped with both “veto” and “override”. He looks like a happy camper. He and Senate President Phil Berger made North Carolina gun owners happy campers as well.
SB 41 is now officially known as SL 2023-8. SL stands for Session Law and the General Statues will be updated at the end of the session.
The North Carolina House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to over-ride Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of SB 41. The vote was 71 aye, 46 nay, and 3 absent or not voting. The vote transcript has not been published as of this writing. I will update it later today when it is available.
SB 41 now goes into law. One of the everlasting stains of North Carolina’s segregationist, white surpremacist past is now erased. It only took 104 years. The Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit is now history.
Just as importantly, churches with attached private schools will be able to protect their congregations from those intent on doing evil. On the latter, the carrying of firearms is only allowed with church permission and only at times when students are not present including during extracurricular events.
I will be updating this post throughout the day with reactions.
UPDATE: The breakdown of the vote was finally posted yesterday. All 71 Republicans voted for the override. 46 Democrats voted no and 3 more had excused absences.
As I posted earlier, Carolina Forward wants Dems to eat their own. Interestingly, Rep. Cotham (D-Mecklenburg) says she had previously notified both the Speaker and Minority Leader she would be absent for a hospital procedure. Meanwhile, Rep. Brockman (D-Guilford) was reportedly being seen at an urgent care facility. Rep. Wray was an original sponsor of the repeal and it is thought this was his way of not voting “no”.
Rep. Willingham (D- Bertie, Edgecombe, & Martin) had previously voted for the bill and had said in reference to another bill that even with a veto he stuck by his vote. It is thought that knowing there would be two absences, he could vote no and be let off the hook by the Dems.
Bottom line, Speaker Tim Moore knew one way or another he had the votes going into yesterday morning.
A group called Carolina Forward which claims to be non-partisan posted a tweet after the vote to override the veto of SB 41 passed. They are most upset that the veto override passed and that some Democrats were absent.
These three Democrats "took a walk" this morning and refused to uphold @NC_Governor's veto of a dangerous bill to loosen NC's gun safety laws.
— Carolina Forward (@ForwardCarolina) March 29, 2023
We will hold them accountable. You can, too. The Carolina Forward 2024 Action Fund launches today. 👇https://t.co/DgXe5qrxDs#ncpol pic.twitter.com/lzlSByF2DT
All three voted against SB 41 when it first came up in the House. Interestingly, Rep. Michael Wray (D-Halifax, Northampton, & Warren) was a sponsor of the standalone bill to repeal the pistol purchase permit.
Regardless of the self-description of themselves by Carolina Forward, their agenda reads like the Democrat’s platform. They call themselves “center-left” but that is stretching as I think AOC and “the squad” would feel right at home with them. Besides, if they are using Act Blue as their fundraising mechanism, that tells you all you need to know.
Gov. Roy Cooper (D-NC) vetoed SB 41 on Friday. SB 41 would have repealed the pistol purchase permit, allowed churches with schools to protect themselves, and provided for a statewide gun safe storage initiative.
Today, the North Carolina Senate voted to override the veto by a vote of 30 aye, 19 nay, 1 excused. Every Republican state senator was present and voted for the override.
It now goes to the NC House of Representatives where an override vote appears to be on the agenda. The fact that is on the agenda would indicate that at least one Democrat has committed to vote for the override. With the current rules of House, the Speaker can call for a vote at any time without any notification or putting it on the agenda.
You may want to call the three Democrats or email them thanking them for their vote for SB 41 and ask them to stick with their vote. GRNC has more info here.
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, |
by