URGENT UPDATE: HB 398, the repeal of the Pistol Purchase Permitting system, just passed the NC Senate Judiciary committee. It could be on the Senate floor any day now. Take action now to stop this bill in the Senate. More information is below. 

 

John,

On May 5th, the North Carolina House voted to put all of us in more danger by passing House Bill 398, Pistol Purchase Permit Repeal.(1) Our eyes are now on the NC Senate: Please email your NC senator NOW to let her/him know you are opposed to HB 398.

Why is this bill dangerous? Because it would expose NC residents to the “gun show loophole” on handguns, allowing people to buy handguns from private sellers, at gun shows, and on the Internet without a background check. Our Pistol Purchase Permit system requires background checks that have stopped people in our state who should not have access to firearms from buying them.

In fact, from 1998 to 2019, over 80,000 firearm sales were correctly denied in North Carolina, blocking almost 2,000 illegal sales to convicted felons and almost 500 illegal sales to perpetrators of domestic violence.(2)

Why is this bill dangerous? Because we cannot afford to be like Missouri, whose firearm homicide rate increased 23 percent annually in the three years following their purchase permit repeal.(3)

Why is this bill dangerous? Based on early estimates and media reports, 2020 appears to be the most violent year of the century nationally and in NC.(4,5) With so much violence, why would we want to make it easier to buy a handgun without a background check?

We cannot afford to repeal reasonable and effective laws like our Pistol Purchase Permit system that help prevent gun violence. Please, contact your senator right now and tell him/her to vote NO on HB 398.

 

Thank you!

Becky & Sara 

 

References:

  1. House Bill 398. North Carolina General Assembly.
  2. Fact sheet: Background Checks and North Carolina. Everytown for Gun Safety. 2021 Mar 25.
  3. Webster D, Crifasi CK, Vernick JS. Erratum in: Effects of the repeal of Missouri's hand-gun purchaser licensing law on homicides. Erratum in: Journal of Urban Health. 2014 Jun;91(3):598-601. 
  4. Fowler H. Gun deaths in US surged in 2020, data shows. North Carolina’s spike was even bigger. Charlotte Observer. 2021 Mar 29. 
  5.  Past summary ledgers. Gun Violence Archive. 2021.

 

 

 

Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your web browser

Unsubscribe or Manage Your Preferences