The North Carolina House has approved a bill that would allow permitted members of the House Assembly to carry firearms in places previously deemed to be “restricted.”
House Bill 47 passed the House late last week and has been referred to the Senate’s Committee on Rules and Operations.
HB 47, according to its own language, would:
“…authorize officials elected in the sates to carry a concealed firearm while performing their official duties if the official has a concealed handgun permit.”
“Current law allows law enforcement officers and judges and district attorneys with a concealed carry permit to carry a firearm in public spaces,” reports The Center Square.
Rep. Keith Kidwell (R-Beaufort), the bill’s lead sponsor, said he’s received death threats and that he and fellow lawmakers should be able to carry in self-defense, as judges and district attorneys are able to do.
Kidwell speaks from experience.
"I actually have been accosted by other people outside the building, protesters, who were seeking to become violent," Kidwell said.
Democratic opponents to the bill apparently believe lawmakers are competent enough to make laws governing the use of guns but are not themselves competent enough to use them.
"We have armed police officers who do an excellent job outside of our doors," Rep. Kandie Smith (D-Pitt).
Rep. Mike Clampitt (R-Swain), who supports the bill, said he had taken to wearing a bulletproof vest to protect himself in recent months.
As a reminder, 98 percent of mass shootings take place in so-called “gun free zones.”
Let us not forget the harrowing, nearly deadly attack on Rep. Steve Scalise and others during the annual Congressional baseball game of 2017, when a Republican-hating madman attacked the congressmembers, gathered to play a game of baseball to benefit charity.
Or the senseless attack on Gabby Giffords in 2011. Giffords, however, rather than working to empower defenseless lawmakers, has spent the rest of her life campaigning to make lawmakers sitting ducks, disarming law-abiding Americans through gun control.
Stay tuned at GPM for updates to this sensible law.
Teresa Mull (teresa@gunpowdermagazine.com) is editor of Gunpowder Magazine.
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