McCrory Signs NC's HB 562 Into Law

Grass Roots North Carolina is reporting that Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) has signed HB 562 into law as of August 5th. It is now part of the 2015-2016 Session Laws. While it obviously was a compromise bill, it does contain items that will advance gun rights here in North Carolina as GRNC details below.

Now that this has become law, it is time to start thinking about the 2016-2017 session and what should be on our list to demand. The repeal of the pistol purchase permit system should be at the top of that list. Another thing I'd like to see is a uniform posting law similar to Texas' 30.06 law. I'm sure my North Carolina readers can come up with a list of their own.

From the GRNC alert:

GOVERNOR MCCRORY SIGNS HOUSE BILL 562

Governor Pat McCrory signed the GRNC-backed Omnibus Gun Legislation House Bill 562 into law yesterday. We want to thank Governor McCrory for signing this bill, as well as NC Representatives Jacqueline Shaffer (R-105); Justin Burr (R-67); George Cleveland (R-14); as well as Senator Jeff Tarte (R-41) for their efforts in getting this bill passed with the strongest language possible. Most of all, we'd like to thank you for your support of GRNC. Without you, we cannot continue to our tireless work to defend your 2nd Amendment rights. Among the victories for gun owners in North Carolina: Expanded campus carry (and giving an affirmative defense for defensive gun use on campus) Reduced penalties for carriage onto posted premises Expanded sport shooting range protection Reductions in arbitrary permit denials for both concealed handgun permits and pistol purchase permits while reducing the number of disqualifying prior offenses for those permits A new cause of action against local governments which violate our statewide firearms preemption law A requirement for sheriffs to sign Form 4s for qualified Title II applicants A provision for legal resident aliens to get concealed handgun permits Short-barreled rifle hunting in addition to the suppressor hunting passed in 2013 Full text of the bill is available by clicking this link.

To The NC Republicans Who Voted To Keep The Permit System, This One Is For You

Back on June 16th, 34 Republican members of the NC House joined with all 43 Democrat members on an amendment to HB 562 that not only kept the racist Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit system but doubled down by adding back the "good moral character" verbiage. This was Amendment Five proposed by Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph). If asked, those 34 Republicans would have said that they were just supporting law enforcement. After all, the amendment was proposed by Rep. McNeill who had been the Chief Deputy in the Randolph County Sheriffs' Department before being elected to the General Assembly.

It just so happened that keeping the pistol purchase permit system alive was also the primary goal of every gun prohibitionist group out there. Both Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors and Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) put up big bucks on ad campaigns urging people to contact their legislators to "save background checks". The Brady Campaign was sending text messages and emails left and right.

Earlier this week, Bloomberg's group Everytown sent out this press release saying they had beaten the "gun lobby".

Another NRA Defeat: North Carolina Moms Successfully Defend Handgun Background Check Requirement From Gun Lobby-Backed Repeal Effort

July 27, 2015 By press

NC Legislature Rejects Gun Lobby Attempt to Repeal Background Checks for Handgun Buyers

RALEIGH, NC – The North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statements today after successfully removing a gun lobby-backed provision out of HB 562 that would have repealed North Carolina’s requirement that all handgun buyers first pass a criminal background check and obtain a pistol permit—and made it easy for prohibited people to buy a handgun from an unlicensed, private seller with no questions asked.

Statement from Sarah Green, volunteer Chapter Leader of the North Carolina Chapter of Moms Demand Action:

“Moms were loud and clear this year – we won’t allow the NRA to put North Carolinians in danger by gutting our state’s handgun background check requirement. We’re pleased that the legislature stood with the 87 percent of North Carolinians who support background checks instead of the gun lobby. Moms will continue to fight for sensible public safety measures that keep guns out of dangerous hands and save lives.”

Statement from Kim Yaman, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action. Yaman, a mother and grandmother who lives in Cary and, along with her two young children, was a witness to the mass shooting at the University of Iowa:

“I am gratified that so many North Carolinians stood up for common sense and convinced legislators to keep our state’s background check requirement in place. Despite the gun lobby’s best efforts, North Carolina will remain one of the 18 states that requires background checks on all handgun sales, and all of us in the Tar Heel State will be safer as a result.”

Earlier today, the Legislature passed a version of HB 562 that did not include that dangerous repeal provision, following a months-long campaign led by a coalition of moms, law enforcement, and the more than 130,000 Everytown supporters in the state who urged lawmakers to keep North Carolina’s background check requirement in place.

Over the course of months, Moms held nine events at the Capitol, made nearly 1,000 phone calls into legislators’ offices, and delivered more than 17,000 petition signatures and emails to legislators demanding they keep North Carolina’s background check requirement in place.

In May, Everytown aired ads statewide highlighting the broad consensus among North Carolinians against HB 562. The ad featured polling paid for by Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund showing that 87 percent of North Carolinians support background checks on all handgun sales and a letter from the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association urging the Legislature not to repeal the state’s background check law. The bill would have allowed felons and other people prohibited from having guns to buy handguns from unlicensed sellers online or at gun shows, with no background check and no questions asked. When Missouri made this same mistake in 2007, gun homicides in that state spiked by 25 percent.

North Carolina is one of 18 states (plus the District of Columbia) that requires background checks not just for sales by licensed gun dealers, but also for handgun buyers that buy from unlicensed sellers. An earlier version of HB 562 sought to remove North Carolina from that group, and had it become law, dangerous people would have been able to meet a stranger online and buy a handgun with no questions asked. Just last month, the Iowa chapter of Moms Demand Action defeated similar gun lobby-backed legislation in Iowa that would have repealed the state’s background check requirement and put Iowans at risk.

Here are the names of the 34 Republican members of the NC House who sided with the gun banners:

Representative(s): Avila; Blackwell; Boles; Brawley; Bryan; Daughtry; Davis; Dobson; Faircloth; Fraley; Holloway; Horn; Howard; Hurley; Iler; Jeter; L. Johnson; Lambeth; Langdon; Malone; McElraft; McGrady; McNeill; Pendleton; R. Turner; Riddell; Robinson; Ross; Stam (CHAIR); Stevens; Tine; Warren; Watford; Zachary

The Gang of 34 would have you believe that they are true blue supporters of the Second Amendment. They would say they were supporting law enforcement and not voting for gun control. They would point to their rankings by the NRA-PVF and the coveted NRA endorsement as evidence of this. Out of the 34, 30 were endorsed and 27 had an A/AQ or better rating.

That's all well and good but you still sold out gun rights and gun rights supporters. Many of these representatives are in safe seats. 15 out of the 34 had no opposition in the 2014 General Election. They probably think they are invulnerable. I wonder how many of their supporters would be cool with their representative being on the same side as the gun banners. Given the districts that most of the Gang of 34 represent, I'd wager not many. If I were a gun rights supporter who lived in one of their districts and I had a solid resume (and deep pockets), I'd seriously consider running against them in the primary. I would not be surprised to see just that.

Something To Hang Around The Necks Of North Carolina House RINOs

Amber Goodwin is the State Legislative Director for Americans for Responsible Solutions. In that role, she is Gabby and Space Cowboy's hired gun charged with killing pro-gun rights bills in the states. She sent out this missive late last night.

We've emailed you quite a few times about the gun lobby's efforts to repeal background checks in North Carolina.

I have a very important update to share with you today:

Earlier today, the State Legislature passed HB 562 and IT DID NOT contain language to repeal North Carolina's background checks law -- a great victory for our movement.

Time and time again, Americans for Responsible Solutions supporters made their voices heard through phone calls and letters to state legislators, and contributions that helped us place ads on television and the internet.

That collective effort made this victory possible -- and lives will be saved because of that work.

 Now anybody who knows anything about the North Carolina General Assembly knows that the pistol purchase permit system is still around due to the efforts of the North Carolina Sheriffs' Association and their power and money hungry members. While the gun prohibitionists may have had some impact on some Democrats, I can't think of any Republican that was swayed by Mike, Gabby, Shannon, and a bunch of nanny-staters clad in felon orange tees.

Nonetheless, when it comes time to primary those Republican representatives who threw gun rights under the bus at the behest of the sheriffs, I think we should hang this around their scrawny RINO necks. Let them try to explain how their votes to keep the pistol purchase permit system did not please the gun prohibitionists. The answer is that no matter how they try to spin it, their vote to keep that racist system did please those who oppose gun rights.

NC's HB 562 Sent To Governor For Signature

The North Carolina Senate passed HB 562 last night in an evening session by a vote of 40 yea, 9 nay, and one absent. The bill will now be sent to Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC) for his signature.

It passed with no new amendments and no drama. Both of those were reserved for the NC House where an unholy alliance of power-hungry sheriffs, gun control groups, Democrats, and some LEO worshiping Republicans conspired to strip the demise of the racist pistol purchase permit system from the bill. The medical privacy component of the bill which provided relatively weak protections to gun owners was also stripped from the bill in a closer vote at the behest of the North Carolina Medical Society.

The bill that was left did include some important gun rights provisions. These include a more standardized process for approving or denying both concealed handgun permits and pistol purchase permits, shooting range protections, expanded campus carry, and shall-issue CLEO sign-offs on NFA items. There are more and the full bill can be found here.

In the end, both gun rights supporters and gun prohibitionists will be able to claim victory. Mike Bloomberg, Shannon, and Gabby will claim victory because they got to keep the pistol purchase permit system. This was a system instituted in 1919 by white supremacist Democrats to keep handguns and other weapons out of the hands of African-Americans, union organizers, socialists, populists, and anyone else that they thought would be an opponent. Gun rights supporters will be able to claim a victory because of all the other stuff we got in the bill which, in the end, may prove to be much more important than the end of the pistol purchase permit system.

Here is the final vote breakdown in the Senate:

Total Votes: 49   Ayes: 40   Noes: 9   Not: 0   Exc. Absent: 1   Exc. Vote: 0

	Democrat	Republican
Ayes:	Senator(s): Clark; D. Davis; Ford; Lowe; Smith; Smith-Ingram; Stein	Senator(s): Alexander; Apodaca; B. Jackson; Barefoot; Barringer; Berger; Bingham; Brock; Cook; Curtis; Daniel; Gunn; Harrington; Hartsell; Hise; J. Davis; Krawiec; Lee; McInnis; Meredith; Newton; Pate; Rabin; Rabon; Randleman; Rucho; Sanderson; Soucek; Tarte; Tillman; Tucker; Wade; Wells
Noes:	Senator(s): Blue; Bryant; Foushee; J. Jackson; McKissick; Robinson; Van Duyn; Waddell; Woodard	Senator(s): None
Exc. Absence:	Senator(s): None	Senator(s): Brown

One final note. It is interesting to notice the vote by the African-American senators on the bill. Five voted for the bill while six voted against it. Interesting.

HB 562 Comes Before The Entire NC Senate Tomorrow

HB 562, the Second Amendment Affirmation Act, comes before the North Carolina Senate tomorrow. The House version was approved without amendments by the Senate Judiciary II Committee on Thursday of this past week. The bill, even though weakened with amendments in the House, does give North Carolina gun owners some important wins. The alert below from GRNC spells out the good stuff and ask that gun owners contact the Republican members of the Senate to urge them to vote for the bill without any weakening amendments.

Pro-gun bill, HB 562, will be considered by the NC Senate tomorrow (Monday, July 27). Please encourage Senate Republicans to support it … Last week, thanks in large part to the insistence of GRNC supporters like you, HB562 moved smoothly through the Senate Judiciary II Committee. GRNC would like to thank Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger (R-Guilford, Rockingham) and Senator Tom Apodaca (R-Buncombe, Henderson, Transylvania) for making sure this bill had a proper hearing. Fortunately, the committee did not weaken the bill, which still contains some great gun-rights advancements, such as:  Expanded campus carry (and giving an affirmative defense for defensive gun use on campus); Reduced penalties for carriage onto posted premises; Expanded sport shooting range protection; Reductions in arbitrary permit denials for both concealed handgun permits and pistol purchase permits while reducing the number of disqualifying prior offenses for those permits; A new cause of action against local governments which violate our statewide firearms preemption law; A requirement for sheriffs to sign Form 4s for qualified Title II applicants; A provision for legal resident aliens to get concealed handgun permits; and Short-barreled rifle hunting in addition to the suppressor hunting we passed in 2013.  Now, it's time for HB562 to be considered by the full Senate. To insure its passage, the Republican members of the NC Senate need to be reminded that you expect them to support this bill, and to pass it without weakening amendments. Below, you'll find a copy/paste message and a copy/paste email list that you can use to encourage the Senate's supermajority to act in accordance with their campaign promises by voting in favor of HB562.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
EMAIL SENATE REPUBLICANS: use the copy/paste email address list, and the copy/paste email text under 'Deliver This Message,' below. CONTACT INFO Copy/paste email *list for Senate Republicans: John.Alexander@ncleg.net; Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.net; Chad.Barefoot@ncleg.net; Tamara.Barringer@ncleg.net; Phil.Berger@ncleg.net; Stan.Bingham@ncleg.net; Andrew.Brock@ncleg.net; Harry.Brown@ncleg.net; Bill.Cook@ncleg.net; David.Curtis@ncleg.net; Warren.Daniel@ncleg.net; Jim.Davis@ncleg.net; Rick.Gunn@ncleg.net; Kathy.Harrington@ncleg.net; Fletcher.Hartsell@ncleg.net; Ralph.Hise@ncleg.net; Brent.Jackson@ncleg.net; Joyce.Krawiec@ncleg.net; Michael.Lee@ncleg.net; Tom.McInnis@ncleg.net; Wesley.Meredith@ncleg.net; Buck.Newton@ncleg.net; Louis.Pate@ncleg.net; Ron.Rabin@ncleg.net; Bill.Rabon@ncleg.net; Shirley.Randleman@ncleg.net; Bob.Rucho@ncleg.net; Norman.Sanderson@ncleg.net; Dan.Soucek@ncleg.net; Jeff.Tarte@ncleg.net; Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net; Tommy.Tucker@ncleg.net; Trudy.Wade@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net *Regarding the above email list: some email programs may require that the semicolons be replaced with commas.
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: "Please Support HB562"   Dear Senator: Last week, I was pleased to hear that HB562 moved seamlessly through the Judiciary II Committee, and I am writing to urge you to continue shepherding this pro-Second Amendment bill toward the governor's desk without weakening it. HB562 will be a great step forward for gun rights in our state. I strongly encourage you to back this bill, and to encourage your colleagues to do the same. Please vote for HB562 as it is currently written, and please vote against any weakening amendments. I will be closely watching your actions on this subject through legislative alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina. Respectfully,

Life Imitating Art

I am in the process of rereading that classic of the gun culture, John Ross' Unintended Consequences. I stumbled across this passage on page 155. It is part of the discussion that Henry Bowman, his father Walter, and the owner of Goodman's for Guns, Al Goodman, are having concerning the requirement to get a pistol purchase permit in 1963 Missouri.

"What Mr. Goodman was telling us is that before I can buy this revolver for you, I have to go get two business owners to sign letters recommending me. Then I take them down to the sheriff and hope he says okay. Mr. Goodman says there won't be any problem, and he's probably right, but the whole point is that the sheriff can do whatever he wants. Just like the story about voting. Henry, we still have laws written so that the police can deny negroes, or anyone else, their ability to protect themselves, and arrest them if they carry personal protection. Or arrest me, for that matter. It depends on if they like you or not."

After a bit of discussion about the black lady that helps Henry's mother with housekeeping and about why handguns are good for self-defense, his father continues:

Now Walter broke in. "That's why bigoted people passed laws about voting and guns, Henry. These bigots don't want negroes being able to protect themselves. They didn't want them voting for legislators that had their interests in mind, and they didn't want them having guns in their pockets when the lynch mob was coming." He thought a moment. "The law Al just described also gives police an excuse to stop negroes on the street and check them for guns. Actually, it gives them the excuse to do that to anyone, but they don't do it to white, as a rule." Yet Walter Bowman added silently to himself.

These passages made me reflect back to the debate on North Carolina's HB 562, the pistol purchase permit system, and how only a neutered bill made it out of the House. Even though we in North Carolina will not be required to get two character references from upstanding citizens, we still have the pistol purchase permit system which was used exactly as Walter Bowman describes to prevent blacks, union organizers, and others from getting the means to protect themselves.

Today's North Carolina sheriffs will have a harder time denying purchase permits but they will still be able to do it as the good character requirement remains. That it was the Republicans who kow-towed to the NC Sheriffs' Association on permit system makes it even worse as the system was set up by white supremacist Democrats. They should have known better but law and order Republicans wilt like a cut flower on a hot day when police or sheriffs say boo.

A Neutered HB 562 Passes The NC House

After considering 10 amendments and voting on seven of them, the NC House passed HB 562 by a 78 yea to 37 nay vote in its 3rd Reading. The pistol purchase permits system repeal was deleted in its entirety. As things were left yesterday, the pistol purchase permits would have only been required for private sales as an exemption was made for sales through FFLs. Today's Amendment 10 by Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett) stripped that provision out of the bill.

There are some good things left in the bill. The process for obtaining a pistol permit has been standardized, newer shooting ranges will be protected, state preemption is reiterated, and chief law enforcement officers have to sign off on NFA items if the applicant is not precluded by state or Federal law. Oh, and you can also carry an ordinary pocketknife in the State Capitol and on its grounds.

As you can probably imagine, the Everytown Moms for Illegal Mayors and their backers in the legislative gallery who wore their Felon-Orange shirts are crowing about the defeat of the pistol purchase permit repeal. In fact, they are proclaiming victory saying that "the Moms fought the law and the Moms won."

“It was really great that most of the amendments were brought forth by Republicans. This is not a partisan issue: we are talking about common sense safety laws. We're building strong, bipartisan opposition to the gun lobby,” said Sarah Green, state chapter leader of Moms Demand Action.

Sarah Green is correct that the amendments that neutered the bill were brought by the Republicans. The GOP is not called the stupid party for nothing. If the Republicans who knelt in obeisance before the state's sheriffs think that avoiding the issue will gain them political points, they are even stupider than I thought. Those in the galleries wearing their Felon-Orange shirts will never support them and those of us in the gun rights community will never forget.

Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina, certainly doesn't intend to forget those Republicans who paid lip service to gun rights in 2014 and then deserted us in 2015. In an email to me, with which I have permission to quote, he said:

"Grass Roots North Carolina would like to thank North Carolina House Republicans for giving us exactly what we asked for: Recorded votes. Lots of recorded votes that tell us exactly who our friends are and are not, and which activate our core supporters going into the 2016 primary elections. Inevitably, the party in power becomes comfortable and unmotivated, in time forgetting who 'brung 'em to the dance.' When they achieve supermajorities and draw themselves comfy districts, that time apparently shrinks to four short years. But in their safe Republican seats, they forget something: Other Republicans can occupy those seats. In 2016, we will use those recorded votes to provide them a few little reminders of that fact."

 Paul is correct. We know who our real friends are when it counts. We also know who is just a fair weather friend making nice noises about the Second Amendment but deserts us when push comes to shove.

GRNC - RINOs Sell Out To The Sheriffs

Grass Roots North Carolina has sent out an alert this evening before the 3rd Reading of HB 562. That is scheduled for tomorrow and more amendments may be expected to come up.

I think Paul Valone must be as pissed off about this as I am. November 2016 will be here sooner than many of these so-called Second Amendment supporters realize. Indeed, some of them may end up getting primaried.

The letter below mentions GRNC will be watching. I know this is a GRNC alert but I might add in that it will be both GRNC and the NRA that will be watching. Let these politicians figure out which one can harm them the most.

You may want to send a special message to those Republicans that I highlighted in my earlier post. These Republicans including Speaker Pro Tem Paul Stam (R-Wake), Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph), Rep. David Lewis (R- Harnett), and Rep. Brig. Gen. Gary Pendleton (R-Wake) not only sold out gun owners but stuck the knife in and turned it.

SELLING YOU OUT TO THE SHERIFFS!

Remember how you helped to to elect a supermajority of Republicans in the State legislature? Well, guess what? They're showing their true colors. In what can only be described as a display of sheer cowardice, several amendments that have considerably weakened H562 (including an amendment to leave the dangerous pistol purchase permitting process in place) were passed during the bill's second reading in the House today. Given the considerable Republican majority in the house, this can only mean one thing: many of the "pro gun" Republicans care more about the NC Sheriffs' Association than they care about you.. Still unwilling to give up their cash cow, even after admitting that the pistol purchase permit system is fraught with problems, it's becoming clear where the loyalties of many of our Republican house members rests. The fight isn't over, though, and we need to flood the inboxes and voicemail mailboxes of our House members. Demand that H562 pass third reading tomorrow without any more crippling amendments. We would like to take a moment to thank Speaker Moore, though, for bringing the bill to the house floor for a vote, and for the votes of the House Patriots that did their best to stop these damaging amendments. Extra thanks goes to House members Adams, Pittman and Speciale, for their strong defense of the second amendment. Lastly: we need to remind all of the House members that we'll remember how they voted (for better or worse) in the next election cycle.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

EMAIL NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS. Use the copy/paste email list provided below, and the copy paste text under 'Deliver This Message.' Let them know that you're watching carefully, and that we don't need any more weak-kneed amendments. CALL YOUR NC HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE. Tell him or her the same thing: that H562 has been unnecessarily weakened, and that you will not support any more weakening amendments. Find your NC House rep by clicking here  (or go to: http://ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx). DONATE TO THE GRNC-PVF. We need your help for primary paybacks. Please visit us at http://www.grnc.org/grnc-pvf/donate-to-grnc-pvf CONTACT INFO NC House Republicans Email List: Jay.Adams@ncleg.net; Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; John.Blust@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; John.Bradford@ncleg.net; Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net; Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net; Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net; Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net; Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Gary.Pendleton@ncleg.net; Larry.Pittman@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; George.Robinson@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Michael.Speciale@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Sam.Watford@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net; Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net; Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Paul.Tine@ncleg.net DELIVER THIS MESSAGE Suggested Subject: "Why is H562 Getting Gutted?" Dear Representative: I was shocked and disappointed to see so many weakening amendments passed this afternoon on House Bill 562. Not only do these amendments retain the dangerous and capriciously bigoted Pistol Purchase Permit system, but they also repeal necessary protections for the collection of a patients' personal information that has absolutely nothing to do with the delivery of good health care. These actions are dangerous for the citizens of North Carolina and contradict the rights of the state's law-abiding citizens. I insist that you actively oppose any further amendments that will weaken H562 when it goes for its third vote in the House tomorrow. I will continue to monitor the progress of H562 through Grass Roots North Carolina alerts. Sincerely,

Naming Names - NC Republicans Who Deserted Gun Owners

As I said in the prior post, there were three amendments that gutted much of what was good in HB 562. The gutted parts include both the repeal of the pistol purchase permits system and the patient privacy protections. It is obvious that the unholy alliance of the North Carolina Sheriffs Association with the gun prohibitionists triumphed today. The only major things that helped out gun owners that survived are range protection, must-sign requirement for the CLEO on NFA items, and the reiteration of statewide uniformity on firearms law. Any of those three could have been a separate bill that would have passed.

Amendments One, Five, and Seven were the key amendments that gutted the bill. Every Democrat voted for them as expected. It is the Republicans who should be ashamed of their actions.

Amendment One seemed to have the quasi-support of some of the bills sponsors and may have been a previously agreed upon change to the final bill.

Here are the Republicans who voted for Amendment One:

Representative(s): Arp; Avila; B. Brown; Blackwell; Boles; Brawley; Bryan; Burr; Conrad; Daughtry; Davis; Dixon; Dobson; Dollar; Faircloth; Fraley; Holloway; Horn; Howard; Hurley; Iler; Jeter; L. Johnson; Lambeth; Langdon; Lewis; Malone; McElraft; McGrady; McNeill; Pendleton; R. Turner; Robinson; Ross; S. Martin; Schaffer; Shepard; Stam; Stevens; Tine; Warren; Watford; Yarborough

Amendment Five, as I noted, doubled down on keeping the pistol purchase permit system. The Republicans who voted for it were:

Representative(s): Avila; Blackwell; Boles; Brawley; Bryan; Daughtry; Davis; Dobson; Faircloth; Fraley; Holloway; Horn; Howard; Hurley; Iler; Jeter; L. Johnson; Lambeth; Langdon; Malone; McElraft; McGrady; McNeill; Pendleton; R. Turner; Riddell; Robinson; Ross; Stam (CHAIR); Stevens; Tine; Warren; Watford; Zachary

Finally, Amendment Seven removed the patient privacy protections, weak as they were. It had less Republican support but could not have passed without these Republican representatives:

Representative(s): B. Brown; Blackwell; Brawley; Bryan; Davis; Dollar; Faircloth; Fraley; Horn; Jeter; L. Johnson; Lambeth; Lewis; Malone; Pendleton; Ross; Stam; Tine; Watford

If any of these Republicans are your representative, you may want to call them, email, or fax them your displeasure. Frankly, I'm at the point where I don't give a damn if what is left of HB 562 passes or not. Is a neutered, watered-down bill worth it if it gives our so-called "friends" something with which they can say to voters that they voted for gun rights? I say no.

Stabbed In The Chest Or Stabbed In The Back?

I am listening to the debate in the NC House of Representatives over the HB 562. I have also looked at the amendments that have passed the House so far.

Amendment One was proposed by Rep. David Lewis (R-Harnett). This amendment effectively deleted the pistol purchase permit repeal from HB 562. It deleted Sec. 10(a) and 10(b) from the bill. The only good thing it did was say that if you purchased a handgun from a dealer after 2018, then a NICS check would suffice. It passed 87-29.

Amendment Two was proposed by Rep. Jay Adams (R-Catawba). This amendment specified that the pistol purchase permit would be on specially watermarked paper that would be hard to counterfeit. The permit would also have an embossed seal specific to each sheriff. I can't argue with that. It passed 112-3.

Amendment Three was proposed by Rep. George Cleveland (R-Onslow). This amendment seems to me mainly clarifications as to references in the bill. It passed 115-0.

Amendment Four was proposed by Rep. Rena Turner (R-Iredell). This amendment deals with the criteria that a sheriff may use when issuing a concealed handgun permit. The original bill said a sheriff could only consider certain violent misdemeanors that happened within the last five years. This amendment says that it didn't matter when the violent misdemeanor occurred, it is a disqualifying factor. The misdemeanors in question involve violence against a child under 12, assaults on a female by a male (but not vice-versa), assault that caused serious injury or with a deadly weapon, or domestic violence upon anyone. It passed 87-26.

Amendment Five was proposed by Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph). This amendment renumbers much of the stuff in Amendment One and doubles down on keeping the Jim Crow-based pistol purchase permit system. It includes the verbiage that says the issuing sheriff must be satisfied of the good moral character of the applicant.

Amendment Six was proposed by Rep. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston). It removed the language permitting members of the General Assembly and their staffers who held North Carolina Concealed Handgun Permits from carrying firearms in the legislative buildings or on its grounds. This amendment passed 69-44. I agree with this amendment as legislators and their staff should not have any privilege that the rest of us don't have save for maybe dedicated parking spaces.

Amendment Seven was proposed by Rep. Gary Pendleton (R-Wake). It removes the entire Section 16 from the bill. This amendment would have preserved patient privacy from intrusive questioning by healthcare professionals. It was not a gag order on healthcare providers but merely notified patients that they didn't have to answer the question. This amendment squeaked through on a 61-51 vote.

Amendment Eight was proposed by Rep. Paul Luebke (D-Durham). This removed the portion of Section 4 that ordered the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Safety to come up with ways to provide safe storage of firearms at the State Fair. It failed 41-73.

Amendment Nine was proposed by Rep. John Ager (D-Buncombe). This amendment would have added the North Carolina Mountain State Fair as an event that the Commissioner of Agriculture could ban concealed carry. The bill already gives the Commissioner the ability to do that at the NC State Fair. This failed 46-68.

The amendments by Republican Representatives Lewis, McNeill, and Pendleton effectively gutted important parts of the bill. The two minor amendments by Democrats which failed were much less offensive. This is an outright stab in the back to gun owners by those to whom we gave a super-majority. The roll call names are not yet available but you can be damn sure I'll publish them when they become available.

The entire bill with these amendments appears to have passed the House on the Second Reading by a vote of 78-37. It will be on the House calendar tomorrow for the Third and final reading.

You have to wonder whether it is better to have Democrats in control of the General Assembly or Republicans. Democrats when they propose gun control will come directly at you and try to stab you in the chest. Republicans such as David Lewis and Allen McNeill, in the name of public safety and kow-towing to control-hungry sheriffs, are stabbing gun owners in the back. So you have to ask yourself, do you stand a better chance against an attacker who comes at you head-on or one that sneaks up behind you? As a Second Amendment voter I'm sure which I'd prefer.

Even The Sheriffs' Own Report Contradicts Themselves On HB 562

North Carolina's HB 562 - the Second Amendment Affirmation Act - has been added to the House calendar for today. In the meantime, a report from the North Carolina Sheriffs Association directly contradicts their assertions that the sheriffs are the ones best placed to determine who should be allowed to purchase a handgun. They have been arguing that sheriffs know more about the people in their county than what is contained in the FBI's NICS database.

HB 937 passed in the 2013-2014 session of the General Assembly required sheriffs to submit a report assessing how many existing pistol purchase permits were still held by disqualified persons. The bill as passed allowed for the North Carolina Sheriffs Association to submit one report compiling the results from all 100 sheriffs. Let's just say the results are not exactly what the NCSA wishes to be known.

Grass Roots North Carolina details the results in the alert below. Note that it includes a link to the report. I suggest that you take that link and send it with a note to your own House representative. I certainly plan to send it to Rep. Brian Turner (D-Buncombe) who is my rep.

SHERIFFS REPORT EXPOSES PISTOL PURCHASE PERMIT SYSTEM

Sheriff report shows NICS checks are superior to our archaic permit system at keeping criminals from getting guns. . . The North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) has been the leading opponent of House Bill 562, in particular its repeal of North Carolina’s Jim Crow-era pistol purchase permit (PPP) system. Their objections have been a moving target as they first claimed sheriffs “know” their constituents and “know” who is unfit to get a permit; then they claimed the National Instant Background Check System is inadequate to conduct criminal background checks (although in truth most sheriffs conduct only a NICS check prior to issuing a permit); finally, they shopped the argument that relying on NICS for point-of-purchase checks would somehow undermine the sheriff and empower the federal government – an argument rendered ridiculous if you understand that sheriffs are required by law to do NICS checks prior to issuing purchase permits. Sheriffs’ own report an indictment of the system So imagine our surprise when we discovered that the NCSA had quietly shelved its own report describing what complete chaos the pistol purchase permit system is in, and how many permits might currently be held by criminals. Under HB 937, passed in 2013, sheriffs were required to develop a report indicating how many disqualified persons still held permits which are valid for 5 years and allow them to bypass background checks via NICS. They were also required to revoke invalid permits. To see the NCSA report, CLICK HERE (or go to: http://grnc.org/documents/NCSA-PPP-Revocation-Report-2014-FINAL.pdf). Some highlights from the NCSA report with most in sheriffs’ own words: “[NICS] reports included 165 or 23.5% of permits being subject to revocation in Camden County and 35,488 or 38% of permits being subject to revocation in Mecklenburg County.” “…sheriffs’ offices [submitted] 674,806 permits for review representing 344,338 different permit holders. CJLEADS returned 26,637 permits to sheriffs as subject to revocation due to an event or condition that occurred subsequent to the issuance of the permit that would have disqualified the individual from receiving a pistol purchase permit at application.” [That rate is about 4%, or four times higher than NICS, suggesting that the PPP system is *inferior* to NICS at preventing criminals from getting guns.] “Sheriffs have reported revoking 5,255 permits from 2,447 permittees as a result of the background check and review process through April 25, 2014. However, it should be noted that a sheriff has no way of knowing if a permit has been used since issuance.” [Translation: Perhaps only ¼ of 26,637 invalid permits were “revoked,” leaving potentially 22,000+ criminals in possession of permits and able to bypass background checks.] “Sheriffs’ offices are staffed to review and process Pistol Purchase Permit applications and not to conduct periodic reviews of active permits…” “Conducting an ongoing manual case by case review of 289 permits in Tyrrell County or 93,486 permits in Mecklenburg County is nearly impossible.” [So much for NCSA’s argument that sheriffs “know” who in their counties should have permits. If they can’t manually check them now, how can they do so before issuance?] “Several sheriffs’ offices had over 40% of their permits reported subject to revocation in the NICS report.” “Sheriffs’ offices cannot account for permits claimed to be ‘lost’…” “Gun dealers do not know if a permit has been revoked…” What the NCSA report means While the sheriffs will undoubtedly claim that inconsistencies of data matching contributed to high rates of permits being reported for revocation, even the “best” possible number of 5,255 permits “revoked” means 5,255 criminals had (or have) guns under the system. By the way, did we mention that “revocation” means only that the sheriff issued a revocation letter? If the criminal says, “The dog ate my permit,” they have no recourse and that criminal may still use that slip of paper to bypass a computerized background check. The bottom line is that NICS checks are superior to our archaic permit system at keeping criminals from getting guns. Adding insult to injury… Before the NCSA apparently instructed sheriffs to stonewall on the cost of issuing each pistol purchase permit, Forsyth County was kind enough to give the following estimate: $50.54 for each pistol purchase permit issued, meaning a waste of taxpayer dollars of $311,781.26 for just one county. Multiply that by 100 counties, and the evidence is compelling that millions of dollars of your money is being wasted to shore up a system that lets criminals get guns while obstructing the law-abiding from doing so. By the way, did we mention that Forsyth reports denying nearly 10% of permits applied for, with most presumably under the “good moral character” loophole? That rate of denial is roughly 10 times higher than NICS and once again suggests that good guys are being denied guns while bad guys are getting them. DY OF MESSAGE HERE

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!
EMAIL NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS. Use the copy/paste email list provided below, and the copy paste text under 'Deliver This Message.' Ask them how they can justify retaining an archaic system that allows more criminals to get guns than NICS. CALL YOUR NC HOUSE REPRESENTATIVE. Tell him or her that he or she had better support repeal of a system which quite obviously hinders law-abiding citizens from getting guns while enabling criminals to do precisely that. Find your NC House rep by clicking here (or go to: http://ncleg.net/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx). CONTACT INFO NC House Republicans Email List: Jay.Adams@ncleg.net; Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; John.Blust@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; John.Bradford@ncleg.net; Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net; Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net; Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net; Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net; Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Gary.Pendleton@ncleg.net; Larry.Pittman@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; George.Robinson@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Michael.Speciale@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Sam.Watford@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net; Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net; Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Paul.Tine@ncleg.net
DELIVER THIS MESSAGE
Suggested Subject: "End the ‘Felon Enablement’ Permit System"   Dear Representative: With respect to House Bill 562, a report shelved by the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) and only recently unearthed demonstrates beyond a reasonable doubt that sheriffs are shoring up an archaic pistol purchase permit system which allows thousands of felons to get guns, while denying law-abiding citizens whom the sheriff arbitrarily deems not of “good moral character.” The report reveals that the computerized National Instant Background Check System (NICS) found 26,637 permits held by disqualified individuals – nearly 4%, or roughly four times higher than denials by NICS. Even if the NCSA claims errors in data matching, the organization admits 5,255 revocation letters were issued, meaning that the archaic pistol purchase permit system let at least 5,255 criminals have guns. Worse, Forsyth County reports that the cost of issuing a single purchase permit – for which the county gets $5, is $50.54 while nearly 10% of applications are denied, suggesting that across our one hundred counties, tax payers are funding a system which wastes millions of dollars denying guns permits to law-abiding citizens while giving them to felons. Bring HB 562 to the floor for a vote and pass it, including its provision for repealing the purchase permit system. If House Republicans fail to act, they are perpetuating a “felon enablement” law. Respectfully,

Irony

Huff Post College ran a story this week about the move to rename university buildings that had been named for ardent segregationists and racists.

Two weeks ago, the board of trustees of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that Saunders Hall -- named for William Saunders, a 19th-century North Carolina secretary of state and chief Ku Klux Klan organizer -- would be renamed Carolina Hall.

This wasn’t enough for many activists who have been fighting to remove Saunders’ name. The same day, the board also announced a 16-year freeze on naming other buildings -- meaning that Aycock Residence Hall, named for white supremacist and former North Carolina Governor Charles Aycock, will remain as it is until at least 2031.

Aycock Residence is just one of many college buildings named for American historical figures who were known to have an active role in perpetuating systemic racism. At some schools, students, professors and community members have been fighting to remove these names, in some cases coming up against strong administrative opposition. At other schools, the names remain uncontested.

There is also a move to rename Tillman Hall at both Clemson and Winthrop Universities in South Carolina. Sen. Ben "Pitchfork" Tillman (D-SC) was an active participant as an orator

If find it ironic that many of the same people that want to remove the names of these building are the same people who are fighting the hardest against HB 562. That bill would do away with North Carolina's pistol purchase permit system (among other things). While the white supremacist movement got its start in North Carolina through the machinations of Furnifold Simmons, his lieutenants included the above named Charles Aycock, Angus McLean, and Cameron Morrison. These three all have university buildings named for them at UNC-CH.

I guess it is one thing to take the name of a white supremacist off a university building but a wholly different thing to repeal a law enacted by white supremacists to keep African-Americans unarmed if it suits the aims of modern day gun prohibitionists. Ironic, isn't it?

GRNC Reports HB 562 May Be Weakened On The Floor (UPDATE)

As I reported earlier, HB 562 is scheduled to be debated on the floor of the NC House of Representatives this evening. Grass Roots North Carolina sent out an alert late yesterday saying that Rep. Allen McNeill (R-Randolph) intends to offer a floor amendment that would remove the phased-in elimination of pistol purchase permits from the bill. As I read their alert, Rep. McNeill was one of the people responsible for the phase-in of the elimination as opposed to an outright elimination of it.

They are requesting people email and call the House Republicans to remind them just which group helped them get their super-majority. If the Republicans who are supposed to be our friends are so willing to sell us down the river, how could we do any worse with Democrats? At least then, instead of being stabbed in the back, it would be a face to face fight where you knew what was coming at you.

Paul Iadonisi at Arms are the Mark of a Freeman has been doing some research into prosecutions for selling a pistol in a private sale without a pistol purchase permit. He has not been able to find a single prosecution for selling a pistol without the permit.

But what was interesting is that, through a few phone calls to DAs and court clerks, it’s been discovered that selling a pistol in a private sale without a PPP (or a Concealed Handgun Permit, which suffices according to statute as well) isn’t something that is ever used in any prosecution. I.e.: it is never enforced and is likely ignored by most private sellers and buyers.

Technically, the seller is not even required to take possession of the PPP or ask to see the CHP. And even if you do, you can put it in the circular file or shred it and not be in violation of the law. And the way the law is written, even an FFL dealer is not required to take possession of the PPP, though you’d be hard pressed to find one that wouldn’t. Both the CHP and PPP are good for five years. And therein lies the problem for our sheriffs: they can issue a PPP and a year later, the recipient could commit a crime that makes him ‘prohibited person’. Yet he can go buy a gun without a background check *at an FFL*, because the NICS check was already done. There is a mechanism for the CHP to be revoked, but not the PPP.

One of the arguments that I heard from a gun owner was that he wanted to know the person to whom he was selling a handgun was not a criminal or someone who would misuse it. I think it is called commonsense. If you don't know the person and you don't have a good feeling about that person, then don't sell it to them. It's that simple.

UPDATE: Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer (R-Mecklenburg), the principal sponsor of HB 562, made a motion at approximately 7:20pm to have the bill removed back to the Rules Committee. She said there were still a lot of amendments and too many pieces still in motion.

If You Don't Have Grassroots, You Have To Buy Ads

Gabby Giffords and her Americans for Responsible Solutions (sic) have reportedly made a six-figure media buy for ads against HB 562. According to the Charlotte Observer, the ads are supposed to start running today. They feature former Wilson County Sheriff Wayne Gay.

“As a sheriff for 28 years, I fought to keep our communities safe,” Gay says in the new ad. “But right now, some in the legislature want to repeal background checks on handguns. This will make it easier for criminals and the mentally ill to get guns. ... Tell the folks in Raleigh we need to keep background checks.”

The ad seen below parrots the misleading stats pushed by anti-gun Prof. Daniel Webster of Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health.



So now Gabby and her husband Mark Kelly (aka the Space Cowboy) feel the need to insert themselves into North Carolina politics just like Michael Bloomberg. I guess when you don't really have grass roots and paid members, you have to resort to throwing money around for TV advertising.

As to former Sheriff Gay and those sheriffs who oppose HB 562, it is about power, control, and money. They don't want to give up any power or control nor the money generated by pistol purchase permits. It never was about crime prevention when enacted and it isn't about crime prevention now.

HB 562 Scheduled For House Floor On Monday Evening

HB 562 - the Second Amendment Affirmation Act - has finally been calendared for a vote by the whole North Carolina House of Representatives. The House convenes at 7pm on Monday and it is the first public bill on the calendar.

Grass Roots North Carolina is asking the bill's supporters to contact the Gang of Three, House Republicans, and Gov. Pat McCrory (R-NC). Their alert is below. I would add that you should contact your own representative, Democrat or Republican, and express your support for the bill along with the elimination of the pistol purchase permit system. Even though many Democrats in the NC House have trended anti-gun, there are many who haven't. You might be surprised by the result.

HB 562 barely clears committee as 3 Republicans vote to kill it: Bill on calendar for floor vote Monday night!

Thanks to the leadership of Speaker TIM MOORE (R-Cleveland, GRNC ****) and Rules Chair DAVID LEWIS (R-Harnett, ****), House Bill 562 passed in committee on Wednesday, and heads to the floor for a vote on Monday night. That does not mean the bill is out of danger. In fact, even if the bill survives a floor vote, numerous REPUBLICANS will try to gut it by amending it to remove the purchase permit repeal and what little is left of the medical privacy language.

Republicans could sink HB 562

The bill cleared committee only after Rules Chairman Lewis voted to break a 13-13 tie – a tie which resulted only because Republicans LEO DAUGHTRY (R-Johnston), TED DAVIS (R-New Hanover) and JOHN FRALEY (R-Iredell) voted to kill the bill. We will henceforth refer to these RINOs as “The Gang of 3” and count on you to make an example of them.

Worse, there is significant opposition in the Republican caucus to the purchase permit repeal, with many Republicans listening to sheriffs who cling to the power to deny handgun purchases by anybody they arbitrarily decide is not of “good moral character.” Make no mistake: Some complain about the quality of data in the National Instant Check System, but this is all about power.

Thirteen citizens and representatives addressed the committee, with Michael Bloomberg’s “Moms” in large attendance. GRNC president Paul Valone and legislative director Jeff Rau both made comments widely carried by state and national media.

Heroes of the day

In addition to Speaker Moore and Chairman Lewis, thanks are due to Reps. JUSTIN BURR, JACQUELINE SCHAFFER, GEORGE CLEVELAND and JAY ADAMS, who spoke eloquently to defend the bill. In particular, Burr called NC Sheriffs’ Association representative Doug Miskew to the microphone to ask whether the association, which opposes the purchase permit repeal, had actually polled its members on the issue. Miskew’s answer was a dodge: “The sheriffs’ association opposes the repeal of the purchase permit law.”

Will McCrory join the gang?

Potentially joining “The Gang of Three,” a representative for Governor PAT McCRORY testified that the governor “opposes” the bill. One should note, however, that he stopped short of saying the governor would VETO the bill, unlike 2013 when the purchase permit was last considered. You need to deliver McCrory a message that the 2016 gubernatorial election is fast approaching, and he will not get your vote if he vetoes HB 562!

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

Vote is MONDAY: Act now!

· CONTACT NC HOUSE REPUBLICANS: Use the copy-and-paste list and message below to deliver a clear message that you sent them to Raleigh, and you can remove them if they vote against your interests.
 

· DELIVER A MESSAGE TO GOVERNOR McCRORY: Call him at (919) 814-2000 or use the copy/paste text under ‘Deliver This Message,’ and the web form you’ll find here(Or go to: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat). You can also send him a Tweet: .@GrassRootsNC supporters: Will Gov @PatMcCroryNC live up to Conservative credentials & support #HB562, or will he join the anti-gun ‘Gang of Three?’
 

· LEAVE VOICEMAIL FOR ‘THE GANG OF THREE’: Politely let them know that they and others who “forget who ‘brung ‘em to the dance” by voting to kill or weaken HB 562 could face primaries in 2016.

CONTACT INFO

Contact Gov. McCrory: CALL at (919) 814-2000, email using the form HERE: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/contact/email-pat

Contact 'Gang of Three':

Ted Davis (R-New Hanover)
919-733-5786
ted.davis@ncleg.net

N. Leo Daughtry (R-Johnston)
919-733-5605

leo.daughtry@ncleg.net

Leave a Facebook message HERE: https://www.facebook.com/pages/N-Leo-Daughtry/113801471963883?fref=ts

John Fraley (R-Iredell)
919-733-5741
john.fraley@ncleg.net

Contact House Republicans via copy/paste email list:

Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net;Dan.Bishop@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; John.Blust@ncleg.net;Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; John.Bradford@ncleg.net; Bill.Brawley@ncleg.net;Mark.Brody@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net;Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net;Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net;Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net;Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net;John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Carl.Ford@ncleg.net; John.Fraley@ncleg.net;Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net;Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net;Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net;Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net;Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net;Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net;Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Gary.Pendleton@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net;Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; George.Robinson@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net;Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net;John.Szoka@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net;Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Sam.Watford@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net;Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net; Larry.Yarborough@ncleg.net; Lee.Zachary@ncleg.net;Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Paul.Tine@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE

For House Republicans, suggested Subject: "Support HB562: Don't sell out NC gun owners"

Dear Representative:

I am very disappointed that after working hard to give pro-freedom representatives control of the North Carolina Assembly that some have returned the favor by attacking Second Amendment rights.

Have Republicans forgotten who got them elected?

Particularly disappointing are actions of three republicans; Ted Davis, Leo Daughtry and John Fraley who almost killed HB562, the Second Amendment Affirmation Act. They appear to be listening to the handful of Sheriffs who control the North Carolina Sheriff's Association (NCSA). Do these few politically-active Sheriffs really represent our 100 counties? Note that NCSA representatives dodged when asked if Sheriffs had been polled on the issue.   

This 'Gang of Three' have betrayed their constituents and are now paying a heavy price for their sell-out of the rights of North Carolinians. Do not risk sharing their fate.

Sincerely,

For Gov. McCrory, suggested Subject: "Support HB562: Don't sell out NC gun owners"

Dear Governor:

I am terribly disappointed to hear that you oppose HB562. I am writing to insist that you rethink your opposition to this pro-Second Amendment bill, and by doing so, live up to the Conservative credentials you had advertised on the campaign trail.

HB562 would prevent health care providers from unreasonably snooping on their patients, and expand concealed carry so that law-abiding permit holders can better protect their families. Perhaps most importantly, HB562 would put an end to the Jim Crow-era Pistol Purchase Permit system (PPP). The PPP system is a disconcerting heirloom, and it would be quite appropriate for a Republican governor to officially sign away this remnant of an embarrassing era.

If you are determined to work against the law-abiding gun owners of North Carolina by opposing HB562, I cannot imagine voting for you in the future. Conversely, I would be pleased to support a primary opponent, one who pledges to stand for the Bill of Rights, and someone who can be counted on to act on those pledges once in office.

I must insist that you live up to your campaign pledges to stand for gun rights, and support HB562. Failure to do so will certainly have political consequences. I will continue to monitor this issue through alerts from Grass Roots North Carolina.

Respectfully,