A new gun related bill takes effect January first in North Carolina. Both sides of the gun control debate can claim some victories.
First, good news for gun control advocates. House bill 562 maintains the requirement for a pistol permit. In an earlier version, that was taken out and it was the most controversial part of the legislation.
But the bill also limits a local sheriff's ability to stop a permit from being issued. Law enforcement now can only check into five years of a person's background, when in the past it was a 20-year window.
The new law also legalizes using short-barreled rifles for hunting. And Wake Forest University Sociology professor David Yamane says now concealed carry permit holders can take guns onto school property.
“This would include if you are, for example, a licensed concealed carrier who is picking up your kid at school, and you happen to be carrying your gun, as long as you keep within your car and the car is locked. This isn't a violation any longer.”
Yamane says North Carolina is one of twelve states that require a permit to purchase a firearm.
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