House Bill 650 was touted as simply amending existing gun laws. In reality, NCGV see this bill as an effort to loosen our existing gun laws as part of a package of increasingly extreme and dangerous legislation. Once signed this bill will allow guns into more public locations, make it more difficult for law enforcement to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and drive our concealed carry permit laws down to the lowest common denominator.

Once law this legislation will force law enforcement to recognize concealed carry permits issued by every other state, including states with the weakest rules. NCGV is not opposed to North Carolinian's right to have concealed carry permits. However, we do believe that North Carolina should have the right to use its own judgment in deciding how to grant concealed carry permits.

It should also be noted this bill contains a far reaching version of the Castle Doctrine. Authorizing the use of deadly force far passed someone’s “castle” to their car and workplace.

While NCGV does not support House Bill 650, we were pleased with legislator’s willingness to make changes to the bill, we which we saw as vital to protecting North Carolina families. Throughout the process legislators worked with law enforcement, domestic violence, and other organizations to improve this legislation.

Poll, after poll finds little voter support for weakening our state’s gun laws. NCGV takes it as a good indicator that in contrast to far more dangerous gun legislation introduced, this more moderate and compromising bill has passed.