NC Republicans vote to continue cycle of gun violence by making it easier to obtain handguns

Over the last two weeks, Republicans in the General Assembly have passed multiple gun bills with the apparent goal of making all North Carolinians less safe.

Republicans in the Senate passed Senate Bill 41 late last week on a 29-19 party-line vote. The House passed House Bills 49 and 50 through their judiciary committee. House Bill 50, which removes the state’s pistol permit requirements, passed the full House on Wednesday with all Democrats in opposition.

In the Senate, Republicans used parliamentary maneuvers to block floor votes on several proposed Democratic amendments to tighten gun laws, such as universal background checks for all weapon sales and “red-flag” orders.

According to a 2022 poll, 73% of North Carolina voters said it was too easy to get a gun in America and 50% said it was much too easy. The same poll showed that 78% of North Carolina voters said they support red flag laws and 89% of voters said they support background checks for all gun purchases. These results all include a majority of Republicans.

We lose too many North Carolinians to gun violence every year. On average, 1,470 North Carolinians die by guns every year, or one North Carolinian every six hours. Republicans have ensured we have more guns and less accountability for gun owners.

There is no quick fix to the scourge of gun violence in North Carolina or the U.S., but there are commonsense safety precautions that are supported by most people. Republicans have repeatedly shown they are focused on the wrong priorities. This is just another example.