Gun Safety Advocates United in Opposition as Lawmakers Pass SB 50—Despite 77% of North Carolinians Rejecting Permitless Carry; Bill Now Heads to Governor Stein’s Desk
RALEIGH, N.C. — Today, the North Carolina chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement, alongside Giffords, Brady, North Carolinians Against Gun Violence, and Moms Rising, after North Carolina lawmakers passed SB 50 through the House, a bill that would allow people 18 or older to carry concealed handguns in public without a permit—effectively eliminating all safeguards put in place by the current permitting system, including a background check, safety training, and live-fire training. The bill passed the House despite widespread public opposition. Two Republicans, Rep. Ted Davies Jr. and Rep. William Brisson, voted against the bill, and several others, including Rep. Brockman, Rep. Chesser, Rep. Cotham, and Rep. Ross, were absent for the vote. The bill now heads to Governor Josh Stein’s desk, where he will have the opportunity to veto.
“Lawmakers have ignored the voices of North Carolinians and gambled with our safety—again,” said Claire Kempner, a volunteer with the North Carolina chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Permitless carry is reckless. It strips away safeguards, puts more guns in more places, and makes our communities less safe. The vast majority of North Carolinians oppose this, but lawmakers chose politics over public safety. We urge Governor Stein to have the courage to do what our state lawmakers wouldn’t and veto this bill.”
“Gun violence is already the number one killer of my generation, and lawmakers in North Carolina want to make it easier for people to carry hidden, loaded guns in public without any training? It’s outrageous,” said Kyle Lumsden, a volunteer from the UNC-Chapel Hill Students Demand Action group. “Young people like me are tired of politicians treating our safety like it doesn’t matter. That’s why we’re counting on Governor Stein to do the right thing and veto this dangerous bill.”
“As a gun owner in North Carolina, I believe in responsible gun ownership, and that means keeping permits in place. Getting rid of them makes it too easy for the wrong people to carry guns in public,” said Johnny Shaw, a GIFFORDS Gun Owner for Safety Ambassador. “We need common-sense rules to keep our communities safe, not policies that put our families and law enforcement at greater risk.”
“The passage of permitless carry in North Carolina is devastating. This bill would allow anyone to carry a loaded, hidden firearm in public—like parks and public transit—without a background check, permit, or gun safety training. States with permitless carry have seen a 13% increase in firearm homicides and a 29% increase in violent crime,” said Kris Brown, Brady President. “This is not the future that North Carolina deserves. Nor is it one the public wants—a majority of Americans, including Republicans, gun owners, and law enforcement, oppose permitless carry laws. Everyone should be able to go to the grocery store, the park, or to dinner without having to worry about who is carrying a loaded, hidden firearm. For the safety of all North Carlinians, Governor Stein must veto this legislation when it comes to his desk.”
“One death due to gun violence is one too many, but according to 2023 CDC data, one North Carolinian dies every five hours from gun violence. Permitless carry is shown to increase firearm violence, including homicides, suicides, and officer-involved shootings. We are tired of not feeling safe in our homes, schools, and places of worship. The General Assembly is taking us in the wrong direction for our state, and we urge Governor Stein to veto this dangerous bill,” said Becky Ceartas, Executive Director of North Carolinians Against Gun Violence.
“North Carolina moms want our state’s concealed carry permit law to remain in place,” said Beth Messersmith, MomsRising Senior Campaign Director for North Carolina. “Moms know that allowing people who have not been cleared by background checks or trained on how to handle concealed weapons into our communities is reckless and will put us all in danger. Our state legislators let us down by prioritizing the gun lobby over our safety when they passed this dangerous bill. We are counting on Governor Stein to veto it and, when he does, moms expect legislators to prioritize our safety by upholding his veto.”
There’s a clear and compelling reason North Carolina hasn’t dismantled its permitting system: it works. States that removed concealed carry permit requirements between 1999 and 2021 saw, on average, a 27 percent increase in gun homicides within three years of the change—the U.S. as a whole saw less than half that increase. A vast majority of Americans and North Carolinians, 3 in 4, oppose allowing people to carry concealed guns without a permit in public, including the majority of gun owners and Republicans. Despite the fact that a clear majority of North Carolinians understand the risks of permitless carry and oppose dismantling the safeguards that help prevent gun violence in their communities, lawmakers pushed this bill through both chambers, ignoring their constituents once again.
In 2023, North Carolina lawmakers eliminated the state’s handgun purchase permit. In the 12 months following its passage, handgun sales increased nearly 11-fold—from 34,826 to 378,546— compared to the prior 12 months. In that same time period, handgun sales in North Carolina surpassed the total from the previous 22 years combined and there were 27 mass shootings in North Carolina, according to the Gun Violence Archive. These numbers aren’t abstract — they reflect the many direct consequences of irresponsible policymaking.
In response, instead of advancing commonsense gun safety measures like stronger secure storage laws, lawmakers instead doubled down on policies that will only deepen the state’s gun violence crisis and make North Carolinians even more vulnerable to tragedy in their communities.
Governor Stein, a longtime gun safety champion, now has a clear choice: stand with North Carolinians and veto SB 50. Voters want stronger gun safety laws—not reckless ones. By vetoing this dangerous bill, he can protect communities, honor the will of the people, and put public safety first.
In an average year, 1,714 people die by guns and 4,197 are wounded by guns in North Carolina. With a rate of 15.9 deaths per 100,000 people, North Carolina has the 23rd-highest rate of gun deaths in the US. 53% of gun deaths are by gun suicide. Read more about gun violence in North Carolina here.
If you would like to speak to a North Carolina volunteer with Moms Demand Action or Students Demand Action or a policy expert, please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].