On July 8th, the veto override attempt in the House of Representatives for House Bill 652, the Second Amendment Preservation Act, received a vote of 66-48, failing to meet the 3/5 minimum needed. HB 652 previously passed both chambers of the General Assembly with overwhelming bipartisan majorities. Gov. Cooper erroneously claimed that the bill will allow guns in schools and threatens the safety of students and teachers. Instead, it would have only applied to churches that operate schools and simply would have allowed parishioners to carry when the schools are not in session, if the church chose to opt-in.
House Bill 652 would have allowed law-abiding citizens who hold a concealed handgun permit to carry a handgun to defend themselves and their loved ones when attending religious worship taking place on private property that is both a school and place of worship if it does not prohibit firearms. This would have empowered private property owners to set their own security policy rather than the state imposing a one-size-fits-all solution. Last year, an armed citizen defended his church against an individual in Texas. This worshiper, Jack Wilson, was able to take action because of similar NRA-backed legislation in Texas.
The final bill also would have required sheriffs to accept a refresher training course rather than a full course for individuals who have let their concealed handgun permit lapse, so long as it is more than 60 days and less than 180.
Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for further updates on Second Amendment issues in North Carolina.
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