Gun Lobby-Backed Legislators in North Carolina Rush to Fast-Track Dangerous Permitless Carry Legislation as Opposition Grows

States with Permitless Carry on the Books Saw, On Average, a 27% Increase in Gun Homicides Within Three Years of Passage

RALEIGH, N.C. — Today, volunteers with the North Carolina chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action held a press conference with gun violence prevention partners from across the state—including North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, Moms Rising, and Raleigh Boots on the Ground—and alongside State Representative Marcia Morey, State Representative Tracy Clark, State Representative Laura Budd, State Senator Lisa Grafstein, and State Senator Sofia Chitlik to oppose permitless carry. HB 5 and SB 50 would allow anyone over the age of 18 to carry concealed handguns in public without a permit —effectively eliminating all safeguards put in place by the current permitting system, including a background check, safety training, and live-fire training. The bill passed through the Senate floor today along party lines, and will head to the House floor next.

During today’s Senate vote, Republican legislators proposed an amendment to the bill that would provide additional funding to compensate the families of slain law enforcement officers and increase criminal penalties for those who open fire on police officers. These amendments are an apparent acknowledgment from lawmakers that permitless carry would put law enforcement at greater risk of gun violence – allowing anyone to carry a gun in public without a permit makes the jobs of police officers harder and more dangerous.

“We are here today united across the North Carolina Senate and House Democratic caucuses to adamantly speak out against the dangerous permitless concealed carry bills being fast-tracked through our chambers by reckless Republican legislators,” said State Representative Tracy Clark. “They have rushed this through because they know that if they actually took the time to hear from law enforcement, gun violence survivors, domestic violence victims, and our constituents at large, it would become blatantly clear that the majority of North Carolinians do NOT want this. Stop weakening our gun safety laws and putting our lives at risk.”

“A decade of evidence tells us that permitless carry means more people in our state will die, especially more of the people already at higher risk of homicides and suicides,” said State Senator Sophia Chitlik. “Our constituents elected us to prevent the deaths of North Carolinians – not to sentence more of them to that fate. We are better than this, wiser than this, kinder than this.  Please utilize the common sense and compassion I know you to have and vote no on this bill”

“I know what it looks like to be a responsible gun owner. I grew up in a home with guns, I was taught and trained how to handle a firearm, and let me tell you: permitless carry is the opposite of responsible gun ownership,” said Sam Mell, a volunteer with the North Carolina State University chapter of Students Demand Action. “As a North Carolinian born and raised, I refuse to see my home state be put in more danger. Our lives depend on how we show up at this moment. The next generation of students’ lives depend on it too.”

“Law enforcement experts, like myself, firearm trainers, and military personnel overwhelmingly agree that it is absolutely critical for people who carry concealed weapons in public to complete firearm safety training,” said John Jarecki, a retired law enforcement officer of 35 years. “This bill creates a dangerous honor system for carrying a concealed handgun in public in North Carolina—making it nearly impossible for law enforcement to verify whether a person carrying a handgun in public is a criminal. Plain and simple, it makes the job of law enforcement harder and more dangerous.”

North Carolina has maintained its current permitting system for good reason. A vast majority of Americans—3 in 4—oppose allowing people to carry concealed guns in public without a permit, including a majority of gun owners and Republicans. Yet, state lawmakers continue to push this reckless legislation, which will only worsen the state’s gun violence crisis. No one in North Carolina wants that. 

States that removed concealed carry permit requirements between 1999 and 2021 saw, on average, a 27 percent increase in gun homicides within three years of the change—the US as a whole saw less than half that increase. If HB 5/SB 50 passes, North Carolinians will face serious threats to their safety. 

The last thing North Carolina needs is for lawmakers to weaken existing commonsense gun safety laws. When more people are armed in more places, any random confrontation from road rage to a bar fight to a parking lot altercation can quickly escalate into a deadly shootout. Instead of prioritizing public safety, HB 5/SB 50 puts communities and our law enforcement at risk.

Elected officials should be listening to law enforcement experts, firearm trainers, military personnel, and their constituents, all of whom overwhelmingly agree that individuals carrying concealed firearms in public should undergo proper safety training. Protecting North Carolinians requires bipartisan leadership and responsible gun policy—not legislation that puts more guns on the streets of our communities, in the hands of those who haven’t been trained on when and how to use them.

If you would like to speak to a North Carolina volunteer with Students Demand Action or Moms Demand Action or a policy expert, please do not hesitate to reach out.