NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed legislation on Friday that would repeal the state’s permit requirement for pistol purchases.
S.B. 41 would eliminate the current requirement to obtain a valid permit from the local sheriff’s office, which has the authority to issue or deny permits based on criminal background checks.
“Eliminating strong background checks will allow more domestic abusers and other dangerous people to own handguns and reduces law enforcement’s ability to stop them from committing violent crimes,” Cooper wrote in a statement. “Second Amendment supporting, responsible gun owners know this will put families and communities at risk.”
The bill would also allow concealed carriers to bring their handguns onto educational property after school operating hours for campuses that act as a school and place of religious worship.
S.B. 41’s third component calls for the launch a two-year statewide awareness campaign to promote safe gun storage.
The bill passed the Senate along party lines, with three Democrats joining the Republican majority in the House. With those Democrat votes, Republican leaders has the needed additional vote to override the governor’s veto. Cooper previously vetoed standalone versions of the permit repeal and concealed carry bills.
Republicans have argued the permit process is outdated and sheriff’s offices shouldn’t be able to arbitrarily approve or deny permits when stronger federal permits exist. Democrats have warned that doing away with the permit law, which applies to all gun sales, including private ones, will create another loophole for bad actors to take advantage of.
Cooper cited the 2023 North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force report that gun deaths for children have increased by 231.3% between 2021 and 2021. Guns are now the leading cause of injury death for children in North Carolina, surpassing car accidents.
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