The short answer is that more gun restrictions are not likely in the very near future. However, we all know that might change if the General Assembly shifts to Democrat control in the next election. Now we have even more proof.
The “Gun Violence Prevention Act” was introduced yesterday. I covered this type of legislation extensively in my Toxic Agenda Piece from 2018 titled “Toxic Agenda: The Push for California Style Gun Control in North Carolina.”
The bill is chock-full of new regulations including permits for long guns and semi-automatic rifles, expanded waiting periods and age requirements, mandating liability insurance for gun-owners, and allowing the destruction of seized guns by law enforcement. It also utilizes the “California Roster of Certified Handguns” on what will be allowable for purchase in the state on top of a myriad of other restrictions. Just go read the bill. Any Second Amendment supporter and supporter of our Bill of Rights should be appalled that lawmakers would think these restrictions are sensible.
California type gun control is an apt description here. The legislation is extremely radical even by today’s quest by the Left for more gun restrictions. It’s quite a leap from the plain meaning of the Second Amendment text, “shall not be infringed.”
Overall, one piece of positive news is that the federal courts are trending in the direction of protecting firearm owners, and these types of bills could certainly be problematic for gun grabbing enthusiasts.
The bill was rolled out on the first anniversary of the tragic Parkland shooting massacre. Check out the Toxic Agenda piece for constitutionally protected solutions to gun violence. But one thing we need to do is focus on targeting perpetrators instead of law-abiding citizens.
Furthermore, some lawmakers in North Carolina are pushing for more gun restrictions while many states are expanding inherent rights spelled out in our state and U.S. Constitution. This is highlighted too in “Toxic Agenda: The Push for California Style Gun Control in North Carolina.” Oklahoma is now the latest state to push for expanded gun rights, and amongst more conservative states, North Carolina is falling behind.
I think it was a mistake for Republicans and other Second Amendment supporters in the General Assembly to not make any attempt to expand our rights in this way while there was a friendly super-majority in both chambers. Again, most every other conservative state did. Even if Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed the bill, they would have put him on record of being against the expansion of an inherent right.
Finally, it sounds like a lot of lawmakers need to relearn that the people are the government. We should be the ones who are putting restrictions on them and not the other way around.
