Who knows what’s going on in the NC Legislature?
Michael Howe does . . . especially when it relates to our Second Amendment rights.
Beginning this weekend, Michael Howe will be Dr Dan’s guest on Freedom Forum Radio. Michael is a North Carolina Legislature “watchdog” with a special interest in reporting on legislation that protects, augments, or infringes on your right to keep and bear arms in North Carolina.
Dr. Dan and Michael will begin by discussing the legislative process – how bills are introduced, discussed, debated, amended, and eventually put to a vote. As you might expect, it is just like making sausage, and political twists and turns determine if the end product is edible or not.
We will also discuss legislation supporting gun rights from 2011 and 2012 that successfully became law in North Carolina. HB 650, The Castle Doctrine, greatly increased our right to self-protection, and HB 843 removed the prohibition against carrying firearms and ammunition during declared states of emergency.
Finally, Dr Dan and Michael discuss four very important gun-rights bills already passed by the house that are being held up for political reasons in the Senate:
- HB 937: includes restaurant carry, theatre carry, locked carry on parking lots of government and college buildings, uniform reporting of mental health and substance abuse data to NICS, and limits local authority to prohibit concealed carry rights. This bill is being held up in the Rules Committee by Tom Apodaca and needs to be brought to the Senate floor for a vote. Please contact him ASAP at [email protected].
- HB 17: Makes information collected for issuing CHP and pistol purchases confidential. This bill is being held up in the Judiciary I Committee. Please contact Phil Berger, Senate President Pro Tempore, and politely urge him to get this to the senate floor. Email Phil Berger at [email protected].
- HB 452: This bill enhances school security by authorizing sheriffs and chiefs of police to establish volunteer school resource officers using former law enforcement officers. This bill is being held up in the Education Committee. Please contact the co-chairmen. Email Dan Soucek at Dan.Soucek@ncleg.
net and Jerry Tillman at Jerry.Tillman@ncleg.net . - HB 405: Makes judges, administrative law judges and clerks of court who have CHP exempt from prohibitions against concealed carry. This bill is also currently being held up in the Senate Rules Committee. Email Tom Apodaca at Tom.Apodaca@ncleg.
net or Phil Berger at [email protected].
See the full list of new North Carolina Firearms Legislation HERE.
Michael Howe retired from the State of Florida and has been living in NC since 2006. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Florida. He was active in Republican politics in Florida and held a seat on the Executive Committee of the Florida GOP. He managed a few local political campaigns in Florida, but enchantment with the political shenanigans of the GOP led him to become an unaffiliated voter.
If you wish to receive legislative updates from Michael, please email him at [email protected] or contact him on twitter.
Dr. Dan’s Freedom Forum Radio can be heard live on WJRB 95.1 FM or on the Internet. The programs airs four times each weekend: Saturday at 8:00 AM and 9:30 AM and on Sunday at 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM. The entire interview will be available on podcast after it is completed.
I initially identified Tim Moore as chair of the Senate Rules Committee; however, Senator Tom Apodaca is the chair of the Senate Rules Committee. Rep. Moore chairs the House Rules Committee. Apologies to all. -MH
Thanks for putting out this information. For most of us, it is hard to keep track of what is going on with our legislature. The above gives us a way to contact our legislators about what is important. Thank you!