On Wednesday, June 3rd, House Bill 562 made it’s way through the House rules panel (14-13) with the Chairman casting the tie-breaking vote. The Bill will now move to the House floor for a vote.  This bill, titled “An Act to Amend Various Firearm Laws” has created opinionated interpretation on how the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America should be applied here in North Carolina.

HB 562 would allow District Attorneys to carry concealed in the courtroom if they are Concealed Carry holders and would allow Legislators to conceal carry on the Legislative campus.  What has garnered more media attention than anything else in this bill is a provision that would allow gun purchase without obtaining a permit through the Sheriffs office, this provision taking effect in 2021. Gov. Pat McCrory and the North Carolina Sheriffs Association are opposed to this Bill.  There are also leftists that interpret the 2nd Amendment in a different manner as evidenced in this article from May 13th.

Public opinion is split along party lines with many 2nd Amendment supporters as proponents for this Bill.  It is well known that criminals will obtain guns by other means than a permit, so permitting is just more red tape and costs more for government to process, which, in turn, cost the taxpayers more.  There is also the, not so well known, fact that permitting was originally put in place to prevent blacks from purchasing firearms.  So this Bill would eliminate another Jim Crow era holdout.

One interesting component of this Bill is that heath care providers would be prohibited from asking their patients in a written questionnaire about gun ownership and would be disallowed from sharing information provide by patients collected verbally regarding firearm ownership.  Providers would face civil monetary penalties of up to $500 for disclosing such information.

We are not sure at this point just when this Bill will go to the House floor or what it’s fate might be but we’ll keep you informed.

“Never surrender your rights, Never give up, Never shut up, and keep getting up.” ~ John Nix and the Daily News Fix