Concealed carry permits one step closer to becoming optional in North Carolina

North Carolinians would be allowed to carry concealed guns without a permit under a bill that cleared a state House committee Tuesday.

The legislative approval came despite objections from law enforcement but with loud support from gun rights activists.

Paul Valone, president of the pro-gun group Grassroots NC, downplayed safety concerns raised by critics. "If you couldn't qualify for a permit, you won't be able to carry" under this new proposal, he said.

A representative of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association, a law enforcement lobbying group that’s influential at the legislature, said that’s not true.

People would no longer have to pass proficiency tests or background checks — or prove that they know the rules around self-defense — to be able to carry concealed weapons, if this bill becomes law.

"This bill would allow folks — themselves — to determine whether they’re capable of carrying a concealed weapon,” said Marie Evitt, a lawyer for the association. “Sheriffs now have professionally trained staff, who have trouble determining that sometimes.”

The vote was 7-4 along party lines, with all the committee’s Republicans in favor and every Democrat opposed.

The push for doing away with concealed carry rules is gaining steam among Republican politicians nationwide. According to the Constitutional Carry Association there are 27 states that no longer require permits for people to carry concealed —and the only Southern states that haven't done so yet are North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Louisiana.

The current rules in North Carolina for getting a concealed carry permit include several requirements:

• Proficiency tests, to prove people can safely and accurately use their gun.
• Background checks, both when first applying for a permit and every time the permit needs to be renewed.
• Legal tests, on the rules for self-defense and where guns are allowed.

While the bill would make those tests and checks optional, it wouldn't entirely eliminate concealed carry permits. People could still ask for a permit if they might find it useful — for example to be able to prove to a police officer that they're legally carrying, or to carry in another state that recognizes permits from North Carolina.

Those who purchase gun from any federally-licensed firearm dealer are required to fill out a form for a federal background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Kevin Harris, the president of SilentArms, a local gun shop, says this wouldn’t change even if HB189 becomes law.

The bill would also let elected officials bring guns into places where they're otherwise banned, if they have a concealed carry permit and are there as part of their official duties. That could include state lawmakers bringing guns into the legislature.

"We've had some events that happened in the General Assembly in the last few years where many of us — and I say 'us' — have received death threats," said Rep. Keith Kidwell, a Beaufort County Republican who is the bill's lead sponsor.

Rep. Marcia Morey, a Durham Democrat who opposed the bill, was met with jeers from the gun rights activists in the audience when she said this change would make North Carolina a more dangerous place.

"I think it's proven that the states with the most restrictive gun laws have the least amount of gun crime," Morey said.

After the booing subsided, she added: "Public opinion is demanding we do something to protect people from mass shootings, from gun violence. This bill is the opposite of what people are demanding."