RALEIGH, N.C. – A Cabarrus County lawmaker introduced a bill Wednesday that would allow North Carolinians to carry a concealed handgun without the need of a concealed carry permit.
House Bill 69, otherwise known as the Constitutional Carry Act, was presented by Republican Representative Larry Pittman. The bill was also sponsored by three additional Republican representatives.
The current concealed carry law in North Carolina requires an applicant to take and pass a safety and training course that involves the actual firing of handguns and understanding of North Carolina gun laws.
Dan Starks, a longtime gun safety instructor in Charlotte, isn’t worried that the new law will give criminals an easier path to weapons. He says they’ll get them regardless of the laws in place.
“The guns law only affect law abiding citizens,” Starks said.
Starks is concerned, however, that a lack of training and gun safety knowledge could have a negative impact on public safety.
“I think it makes good sense but the question is what kind of training do people have?”
“People carrying a gun without a permit would be like allowing people to drive without having to have a license,” Starks explained. “You get a license because it requires you to learn how to drive, (as well as) the laws. It’s the same thing with a handgun.
“If you’re going to carry a deadly weapon in public, it’s absolutely mandatory that you understand the laws as far as you using it.”