Legislative leaders say they won鈥檛 take action to repeal North Carolina鈥檚 concealed-carry permit requirements.
A that would have allowed people to carry concealed handguns without a permit passed two committees in the past week. But it was later removed from the House鈥檚 floor calendar without a vote.
House Speaker Tim Moore said Thursday that some Republican lawmakers were opposed to the change. The state sheriffs鈥� association also spoke out against the bill. The bill鈥檚 sponsor, Rep. Keith Kidwell, R-Beaufort, agreed to drop the proposal for now.
鈥淭here was some difference of opinion within the caucus on it, and the reality is, before that bill could become law, you would need to have all 72 votes,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 count 72 votes there, and Rep. Kidwell concurred.鈥�
Moore was referring to the likelihood that Gov. Roy Cooper would veto the bill, meaning that all Republican House members would need to be willing to vote for an override.
Senate leader Phil Berger also told reporters that he didn鈥檛 think his chamber would take up the bill. Moore and Berger said they were satisfied with recent action to repeal permit requirements to buy a handgun. That bill became law after lawmakers voted to override a veto from Cooper.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done away with the pistol purchase permit, which was the number-one goal of many of the gun rights groups for a long period of time,鈥� Berger . 鈥淚 just don鈥檛 know if there鈥檚 a need for us to delve into additional issues dealing with guns.鈥�
Moore cited Berger鈥檚 position as another reason the House decided not to move forward with the bill. The move marks a rare victory for opponents of looser gun laws in a GOP-controlled legislature.
The isn鈥檛 giving up on the concealed-carry repeal. It鈥檚 continuing to promote a petition calling on lawmakers to pass the measure. It argues that North Carolina is in a 鈥渄isadvantaged minority鈥� among states because 27 others don鈥檛 have concealed-carry permits.
The would keep education requirements for gun owners who want to carry a concealed weapon, but without a permit process, law-enforcement agencies worry they wouldn鈥檛 know who was legally carrying a gun.
