North Carolina Senate passes bill to repeal pistol purchase permits

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - The North Carolina Senate voted 29-19 across party lines on a bill that would repeal the state’s pistol purchase permit law on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The current law requires for people to obtain a local sheriff’s permission and permit to buy a pistol; this gives the sheriff’s office the ability to decide who is allowed to buy one.

“For purposes of determining an applicant’s good moral character to receive a permit, the sheriff shall only consider an applicant’s conduct and criminal history for the five-year period immediately preceding the date of the application,” the law states.

Senate Bill 41, with the short title Guarantee 2nd Amend Freedom and Protections, would also allow people in a church to carry a concealed gun during a worship service given certain conditions are met. Those conditions are that it is on private property, not during school hours, with no students present for activities and the property doesn’t have a “no guns allowed” sign.

The last section of the bill would launch a two-year firearm storage awareness initiative. According to the bill, it would include a website and toolkit on firearm storage along with the distribution of gun locks.

The bill will have to be passed through the House of Representatives and sent to Governor Roy Cooper to become law. But if he vetoes the bill, a supermajority will be required to override it. While the republicans have reached that supermajority in the Senate, they’re one seat short in the House.

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