There are 20 states with some form of permitless carry. In the pro-gun South, only Virginia and North Carolina lack something along those lines. Florida prohibits open carry, with a few specific exceptions, but it allows concealed carry without a permit.
Virginia is a weird case due to its proximity to Washington, DC, which means it’s a very purple state, and its gun laws seem to swing back and forth so often, I’m amazed Cam doesn’t have a permanent case of whiplash.
North Carolina doesn’t have that excuse, though.
Sure, they’ve had some harsh gun control policies on the books in the not-so-distant past, but those were relics of Jim Crow, best relegated to the dustbin of history, and the state has moved forward. They even passed permitless carry earlier this year.
Unfortunately, the governor vetoed it.
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms urged lawmakers to override the veto not that long ago. Now, they’re celebrating movement being made towards that end.
From a press release:
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is happy to report there has been progress on drumming up support for a permitless carry veto override vote in the Tar Heel State. Last week the Committee sent letters to four key North Carolina lawmakers and urged them to support a veto override of SB 50. The legislation passed both houses earlier this year, but Democratic Governor Josh Stein vetoed the will of the people. One lawmaker we wrote committed to voting in favor of the override.
The four lawmakers that the Committee addressed were House Representatives Ted Davis, Jr., Stephen M. Ross, Howard Penny, Jr., and Jimmy Dixon.
In the letter, the representatives were informed that permit requirements are “Jim Crow era laws that keep people disarmed,” and that they are expected to uphold their oaths of office by defending the Constitution.
We’re happy to share with our members that Representative Howard Penny responded to our correspondence and said, “When the Override of SB50 comes to the floor, it is my intention to vote for an override.”
Representative Penny, we thank you for having the fortitude to commit to supporting an override of Governor Stein’s veto. We appreciate both your support of the Second Amendment and for taking the time to respond to us about this very important measure.
“Permitting laws are nothing less than a burdensome tax on law-abiding citizens who wish to self-defend,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb said. “Having North Carolina become the 30th permitless carry state is something these lawmakers should be proud of. We appreciate Representative Penny’s leadership in committing to an override, and we salute all the other legislators who are resolved to end a policy that’s deeply rooted in a racist past.”
The Committee has not yet heard from House Representatives Ted Davis, Jr., Stephen M. Ross, or Jimmy Dixon, all of whom received their letters the same day as Representative Penny. We remind these lawmakers that voters do not have short memories when it comes to their fundamental civil liberties being subverted.
Our friends at Grassroots North Carolina have been tracking the progress of the veto override push, and we invite Committee members and the public to visit their homepage for more information at: https://grnc.org/
Now, this is just the start. There’s a long way to go. Lawmakers are often hesitant to override a veto, if for no other reason than it might make things more difficult down the road when they want to get other things passed. Not everything will have the support for an override of a veto, so not antagonizing the executive branch of government is generally a good policy.
But there are times when an override is the only rational action, and this is one of those.
My hope is that while Rep. Penny intends to vote for the override, he will be far from alone. The three who have not responded need to do so, and I hope they, too, vote to override the veto.
This is the moment when you can see who is really pro-gun and who is just pretending to be so. The only pro-gun option here is to override. If a lawmaker opts not to do so, then you know where he or she really stands on the issue. They’ll give lip service to the Second Amendment when things are likely to go that way anyway, but when it really matters, you can’t count on them to make a stand.
The thing is, we’ve got enough cowards in elected office as it is. If they can’t make a stand here, is there any reason to keep those cowards in office any longer?
I’d say not.
Editor’s Note: President Trump and the vast majority of Republicans across the country are doing everything they can to protect our Second Amendment rights and right to self-defense.
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