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News release

NC Moms Applaud Passage of Gun Bill that Protects Pistol Permit System, Removes Worst Provisions from NC Gun Law

July 27, 2015
Gun Control

Lisa Lederer, 202-371-1996

Vow to Continue Pressing for Commonsense Gun Safety Laws
MomsRising today praised North Carolina lawmakers for listening to the safety concerns of moms and families by passing an omnibus gun bill through the state Senate that protects the pistol permit system and leaves out a number of dangerous provisions included in the original legislation introduced in the state House this spring. At the same time, MomsRising remains concerned about a handful of provisions still in the bill that undermine existing gun laws, and vows to continue pressing for commonsense guns safety laws.
 
As originally proposed, HB 562 would have eliminated North Carolina’s pistol permitting system that requires background checks on guns sold through unlicensed sellers. The permitting system ensures that domestic violence abusers, dangerously mentally ill individuals, minors and convicted felons cannot buy handguns through an unlicensed dealer without a background check. When a similar law was repealed in Missouri, the handgun homicide rate increased by 25 percent in one year. Also removed from the original North Carolina legislation were provisions that would have interfered with doctors’ ability to discuss gun safety with their patients, which would have allowed convicted stalkers to get concealed carry permits five years after their conviction.
 
“We are grateful to the courageous lawmakers who helped remove the most extreme provisions from HB 562. They withstood the pressure of the gun lobby and acted to protect commonsense gun laws that make NC safer,” said Beth Messersmith, North Carolina Campaign Director for MomsRising.org. “This has been a long and drawn out process, with the gun lobby trying to slip many dangerous provisions in under the wire. They thought no one was paying attention, but they were wrong. This fight has shown a spotlight on the way the gun lobby does business and their efforts to undermine public safety. As a result, North Carolinians are increasingly aware of and invested in the fight for commonsense gun laws.”
 
While MomsRising celebrates this tremendous victory in North Carolina, it points out the bill that passed today is still far from perfect. It still contains numerous provisions that undermine safety at schools and at the State Fair and which weaken the efforts of local governments and individual property owners to minimize the threats posed by firearms in our communities.
 
"We aren’t going anywhere," Messersmith added. "MomsRising.org and its more than one million members, and people across this nation who care about the safety of their kids, their families and their communities, will continue to fight until we have commonsense gun safety laws in this country."
 
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MomsRising.org members were part of the NC coalition effort to stop this legislation that included North Carolinians Against Gun Violence and Moms Demand Action. MomsRising.orgmembers sent thousands of letters to North Carolina legislators, sharing their stories of how gun violence has impacted their families and communities, and visited and made calls to legislators’ offices.  
 

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MomsRising.org is an on-the-ground and online grassroots organization of more than a million people who are working to increase family economic security, decrease discrimination against women and moms, and to build a nation where businesses and families can thrive. Established in 2006, MomsRising and its members are organizing and speaking out to improve public policy and to change the national dialogue on issues that are critically important to America’s families, including criminal justice reform, immigration policy reform, and gun safety. MomsRising is working for paid family and medical leave, affordable, high quality childcare and early learning, and for an end to the wage and hiring discrimination which penalizes women — particularly moms and women of color — and so many others. MomsRising advocates for access to healthy food for all kids, health care for all, earned sick days, and breastfeeding rights so that all children can have a healthy start. MomsRising maintains a Spanish language website: MamásConPoder.org. Sign up online at www.MomsRising.org — and follow us on our blog, and on Twitter and Facebook.