CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Even before the August 28th shooting on UNC’s campus, bills related to guns and other weapons were proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly by both sides, including one controversial bill that saw the first veto override of the legislative session.
With the General Assembly currently mostly dormant until the short session begins in April, there will be no new bills or votes for the rest of the year. So let’s look back at the bills about guns that were introduced in the past session.
Senate Bill 41, Guarantee 2nd Amend Freedom and Protections: The aforementioned controversial bill is Senate Bill 41, now known as Session Law 2023-8. The bill is the only one on this list to pass into law.
The now-law was a Republican led initiative to get rid of the state’s pistol purchase permit system, which required handgun buyers to get a permit from their local county sheriff. It also created an exception to the ban on guns on school grounds, allowing concealed carry permit holders to carry their guns on private or religious school property during religious services. The exception does not apply to public schools, and guns still cannot be carried on school property during school hours. The law also includes the creation of an initiative to raise awareness on safe gun storage. Democrats proposed an amendment that would have added universal background checks to the bill, but it was voted down.
The bill passed the Senate along party lines. It passed the House mostly along party lines, although three Democrats voted in favor of it. Governor Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, but Republicans, who have a supermajority in both the House and the Senate, overrode his veto along party lines in March. It was the first veto override of the session.
House Bill 189, Freedom to Carry NC: This Republican led bill would have done away with concealed carry permits in the state, allowing gun owners to carry concealed guns without a permit. Currently in North Carolina, gun owners have to undergo proficiency tests, background checks, and legal tests in order to receive a concealed carry permit. It also would have allowed elected officials, including those in the General Assembly, to bring guns inside of the legislature.
The bill was first proposed in February, but action on it was only taken in May. The bill moved through several committees and was placed on the House calendar to be voted on. However, the bill was ultimately shelved after pushback from within the Republican party, including Republican Senate Leader Phil Berger saying that the bill would not pass through his chamber.
House Bill 281/Senate Bill 215, Allow ERPOs to Prevent Suicides and Save Lives: This Democrat-led bill was similar to red flag laws that have been proposed and adopted in other states. It would have allowed the state to issue an Extreme Risk Protection Order, or ERPO, that would temporarily take away any guns, ammunition, and other weapon related items from a person that is proven to pose a harm to themselves or others. Petitions for ERPOs could be filed by a family member, a current or former spouse, law enforcement, or a healthcare provider. The weapons would be returned after a certain amount of time.
The bill was proposed in March and referred to the Rules Committee, where it ultimately died in both chambers. This year was the fourth consecutive year that a red flag law was proposed by Democrats in the state, and the fourth consecutive year that it failed.
House Bill 254, Storage of Firearms to Protect Minors: This was another Democrat-led bill proposed in March. It would have required a person who owns a firearm and lives in the same house as a minor to keep their firearm in a locked safe. Failure to keep a firearm in a locked safe would result in a misdemeanor.
Just like the last bill, this bill was referred to the Rules Committee and died there.
House Bill 284, Law Enforcement/Destroy Certain Firearms: This Democrat sponsored bill would have allowed law enforcement agencies to destroy unclaimed firearms, weapons confiscated after certain convictions, and guns purchased by or voluntarily given to law enforcement through things like buyback programs. Current state law allows law enforcement agencies to sell confiscated weapons, but not destroy them.
The bill was proposed in March, and died in the Rules Committee.
House Bill 283, Purchase Permit Required/Long Gun: This Democrat-led bill would have created permits for rifles and long guns in the state. Unless gun buyers already had a handgun concealed carry permit, they would have to receive one of these new permits from their local sheriff in order to buy a rifle or long gun.
The bill was introduced in March, and died in the Rules Committee.
House Bill 289/Senate Bill 210, Gun Violence Prevention Act: Most of the bills introduced by Democrats listed above were absorbed into this pair of omnibus bills that was introduced in both chambers in March. The bills would have created several new regulations on guns and changed several current gun laws in the state. Some of those changes include:
- Require a permit to purchase a long gun or assault rifle
- Require a 72 hour waiting period after a firearm purchase
- Set minimum age of 18 to carry a handgun or long gun, and 21 to carry an assault rifle
- Ban bump stocks and trigger cranks
- Limit the size of ammunition magazines
- Require the safe storage of guns
- Allow the destruction of seized firearms
- Repeal “Stand Your Ground Laws” in the state
Several other provisions were included in the bills. Like the rest of the gun bills introduced by Democrats in the past legislative session, they both died in their respective Rules Committees.