House lawmakers in the Judiciary 2 committee debated House Bill 189, otherwise known as the NC Constitutional Carry Act on Tuesday morning.
The proposed bill looks to allow anyone 18 or older, barring certain disqualifying offenses or events, to be allowed to carry concealed without a permit in North Carolina.
“This bill is the opposite of what people are demanding,” said Rep. Marcia Morey, a Democrat who represents Durham.
Rep. Laura Budd, a Charlotte-area Democrat, said she had received “hundreds (of calls, emails) in opposition and almost none in favor of the bill.”
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Keith Kidwell, District 79, said, “We need to look at it from the perspective of freedom. And I’ll go back to the basics of where this all begins. Both the North Carolina and US Constitution cite the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed.”
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“We consider this bill a threat to public safety,” said Jennifer Copeland with the North Carolina Council of Churches, which represents more than a dozen denominations. “We believe if you weaken gun laws on who, how, and where we’re allowed to carry guns — we will ensure that more people will carry guns and more guns will get stolen.”
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