NC bill allowing firearms in private schools vetoed by Gov. Stein

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — A bill that will allow firearms at private schools in North Carolina was vetoed by Gov. Josh Stein Wednesday, his office said.

House Bill 193, which passed in the North Carolina House on June 26, requires people to get permission from private school leaders and have a valid concealed carry permit to have a gun on private school grounds.

While the bill alludes to teachers, parents, and the administration being able to carry a firearm at a private school, it does not limit that ability to just them.

In vetoing the bill, Stein issued the following statement:

“This bill would make our children less safe. Just as we should not allow guns in the General Assembly, we should keep them out of our schools unless they are in the possession of law enforcement. Law enforcement officers receive more than 800 hours of public safety education, including firearms training. On top of that, school resource officers receive additional training to know how to respond to crises and how to de-escalate conflicts, a requirement I supported when I was attorney general.

“We cannot substitute the protection offered by well-trained law enforcement officers by asking teachers and school volunteers to step in and respond to crises while armed. Just last year, an employee at a religious school in Goldsboro left a gun in a bathroom that was later found by an elementary school student.

“I support, however, the provision in this legislation to better protect local elected officials from threats to their safety and I urge the General Assembly to send me a clean bill with those protections so I can sign it.”

The organization North Carolinians Against Gun Violence praised Stein for vetoing the bill.

“Having more armed individuals in a school setting, including those with minimal training, would create an unnecessary danger to students and staff,” retired school teacher and NCGV volunteer Sue Duncan said in a statement. “North Carolina requires law enforcement personnel who carry firearms to have 868 hours of basic training; this bill allows individuals with as few as 8 hours/year of training to bring guns into private schools.”

Also in favor of the veto was the organization Students Demand Action.

“I’m grateful Gov. Stein vetoed this bill because bringing guns into any classroom will only make our schools less safe,” said Sam Mell, a volunteer with the Students Demand Action group at North Carolina State University.

“Every day, my generation is forced to think about what could happen if there are guns present in our classrooms or hallways and we shouldn’t have to carry that fear just to get an education,” he continued in his statement. “This veto is a necessary step toward protecting students and teachers and making it clear that our safety comes before politics.”

The bill will return to the North Carolina General Assembly, who will vote to override or uphold the veto.

Republicans will need the support of one Democrat to override the veto. One Democrat, Rep. Shelly Willingham, previously voted in favor of the bill.

Other bills vetoed

Stein vetoed two other bills Wednesday: Senate Bill 146, which protects the personal information of nonprofit organization donors from public agencies, and House Bill 96, which establishes a process for law enforcement to remove people from private property they are not allowed to be at.

On Senate Bill 146, Stein said in a statement, “Our democracy works best when people are well-informed. This bill reduces transparency and creates more opportunity for dark money in our politics, especially relating to candidates’ legal funds. Furthermore, it makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the Department of Revenue to identify and crack down on certain types of tax fraud.”

The governor emphasized his veto of House Bill 96 was due to an amendment that modified pet shop laws.

“This legislation originally addressed squatters and I supported it,” he said in a statement. “At the last moment, however, an unrelated amendment was added that prohibits local governments from regulating pet stores. This bill would facilitate inhumane puppy mills in North Carolina. Without this provision, I would sign the legislation. With it, I cannot support it.”

Bills signed into law

In addition to the three vetoes, Stein signed nine bills into law:

• Senate Bill 479, which supports community retail pharmacies
• Senate Bill 429, which changes criminal laws on domestic violence, sexual abuse connected to religious organizations, and drug offenses
• Senate Bill 311, which protects utility and communication workers from being assaulted, along with addressing crimes such as burglary, retail theft, reckless driving, and hit-and-run
• Senate Bill 118, which helps military service members transition easier to new deployments
• Senate Bill 375, which revises the criminal offense of what constitutes hazing
• House Bill 850, which temporarily prohibits issuing certificates for certain surface water transfers
• House Bill 694, which directs the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study water and wastewater regionalization, removes designations and requirements for certain subbasins, and revises the 2020 Farm Act’s total maximum daily load transport factor calculation applicability
• House Bill 1003, which modifies the funeral service and cremation laws
• House Bill 992, which changes the timeshare trustee foreclosure process for delinquent timeshare assessments and changes the process for establishing the process of children born out of wedlock