OVERVIEW: House Bill 652 would allow a person who holds a concealed handgun permit to possess and carry a handgun on an educational property that serves as a religious place of worship.

CURRENT LAW: G.S. 14-269.2 generally prohibits any person from possessing or carrying any firearm on educational property or to a curricular or extracurricular activity sponsored by a school.

BILL ANALYSIS: The PCS to House Bill 652 would allow a concealed carry handgun permittee, or someone exempt from needing a handgun permit, to possess and carry a handgun at a religious place of worship that is the location of a school if:

• The educational property is not a university, college, or community college.

• The educational property is not owned by a local board of education or county commission.

• The weapon is a handgun.

• The handgun is possessed and carried outside of any time when any curricular or extracurricular activities are taking place.

• The owner has not posted signs prohibiting the carrying of handguns on the premises.

We the people of North Carolina, petition the veto of H.B. 652 second amendment protection act - freedom to worship safely.

We petition on the grounds that Governor Roy Cooper’s statement “this bill allows guns on school property which threatens the safety of the students and teachers. Therefore, I veto the bill“ The language used by Governor Roy Cooper is not within the context of the bill. This bill is not allowing concealed carry on a public school or even community college property or even in the facilities.

On the contrary to the context that governor Cooper exerts in his statement of a safety issue, The intended purpose of a concealed carry permit is to provide and to afford an individual personal safety and that of his or her family. Any persons that have been properly trained and have met the requirements of the state to possess a concealed firearm should not be considered as a threat as governor Roy Cooper suggests in his veto statement. We should not allow him to veto this bill on the grounds of safety because the sole purpose of this bill is to afford a safer environment at a place of worship. Nowhere in this bill does it state during school hours or at any school sponsored event. This bill is only concerning the hours of operation of the church or house of worship and to deny a law abiding citizen that holds a concealed carry permit Is a direct infringement on his or her individual second amendment right.

We ask as the constituents of North Carolina, please reconsider and override the veto of H.B. 652 second amendment protection act - freedom to worship safely. In recent years church shootings have been more prevalent and there exists a need to defend and assemble a security team. We have concealed carry in North Carolina to afford and provide an individual right to protect oneself and family. Why are we allowing the infringement of some churchgoers' right that a legal concealed carry holder is not able to legally conceal carry in their place of worship just because it has an educational facility on the premises? Should not all churches be afforded the right to protect themselves and the church family?

All churches should be on the same level ground, and should have the individual right to make the choice to allow Concealed Carry or not to allow Concealed Carry, it should not be up to Governor Roy Cooper to have the power to deny, disarm, infringe, or to take away the right of a legal conceal carry holder which he or she has a constitutionally protected right to protect themself and his or her family while at his or her house of worship.