Seven Libertarian candidates seeking state House seats in North Carolina this cycle have signed on to a pledge committing themselves to support constitutional carry and other efforts to reduce state restrictions on firearms following repeated delays in a House vote on Senate Bill 50.
The Libertarian Party of North Carolina announced what it calls its “30th State Pledge” earlier this week, taking its name from efforts to make North Carolina the thirtieth state to permit eligible adults to carry a concealed firearm without first obtaining a state permit.
“North Carolina remains one of the shrinking number of states that requires a law-abiding adult to purchase permission before carrying a firearm for self-defense,” the introduction to the pledge reads. “Twenty-nine states have ended that requirement. Every state on our southern and western borders has ended it. North Carolina has not — not because the votes were never there, but because the vote was never taken.”
Under the pledge, the candidates commit to supporting legislation that removes state barriers to firearm ownership and carry, while opposing any new restrictions on the ownership, transfer, or otherwise lawful use of firearms. They also promise to be present for recorded floor votes on future firearms legislation and to publicly explain their votes on such legislation within 30 days of them being cast.
The seven Libertarian signers are Angela Humphries in District 3, Nick Taylor in District 25, Ed George in District 34, Wayne Cockrell in District 39, Lucas Everett Jones in District 40, Christopher Sessions in District 53, and Matthew P. Clements in District 56. The party is also inviting candidates from other parties and unaffiliated candidates to sign the document.
The pledge came about in response to inaction on Senate Bill 50, titled the “Freedom to Carry NC,” which would allow eligible U.S. citizens in the state who are age 18 or older to carry a concealed handgun without first obtaining a permit. Under the bill, the existing permit system would remain available for purposes such as reciprocity with other states. It would also increase death benefits for public safety employees and strengthen penalties for certain firearm offenses.
North Carolina’s Republican-controlled General Assembly originally approved the bill last year, with the Senate first passing it 26–18 in March and the House 59–48 in June. Soon afterward, Democratic Gov. Josh Stein vetoed the measure on the grounds that eliminating mandatory training and lowering the minimum age for concealed carry would lead to public safety concerns. The Senate then overrode his veto 30–19.
However, the House has yet to complete its side of the override vote, with the North Carolina General Assembly’s bill tracker showing that Senate Bill 50 has repeatedly been added to and withdrawn from the calendar since Stein vetoed it. As of September 2, the measure remained listed as unfinished business for reconsideration of a vetoed bill.
“Republicans in Raleigh have had fourteen months and nine chances. What they’ve produced is a calendar entry they keep erasing,” LPNC Chair Ryan Brown said. “Our candidates are not promising to win this vote. They are promising to be in the building when it is taken, and to let you see how they voted.”
Being unfinished business means the bill still remains eligible for consideration during the current session, with lawmakers scheduled to return several more times before the House’s final adjournment in mid-December. House Speaker Destin Hall also said last month that leadership intends to override vetoed bills “at some point if we possibly can,” leaving open the possibility of another attempt before then.
Given that uncertainty over whether a vote will actually take place, the state Libertarian Party is further using the pledge as a way for candidates to put their positions on the issue on a public record. To that end, it commits signers who are elected to also pursue similar legislation next session if Senate Bill 50 fails or never receives an override vote.
“The pledge is one page and takes ninety seconds to read,” Brown added. “If a sitting member won’t sign it, that is also an answer. Gun rights voters have a right to know who stands for them or against them, even if current House Leadership protects them by denying a recorded vote.”
Be First to Comment