At the NC Senate, even gun limits favored in Fox News poll fail to gain traction

When Senator Danny Britt (R-Robeson) rose to explain Senate Bill 650 last Monday night on the Senate floor in hopes of securing the bill’s approval, Senator Natasha Marcus (D-Mecklenburg) was quick to offer a bit of tongue-in-cheek praise.

“The ‘Gun Violence Prevention Act,’ I love the title, Senator Britt,” said Marcus. “I love it so much that I used the title myself as you now know, when I filed a bill, same name, ‘Gun Violence Prevention Act,’ back in March. I was so hoping that when I saw this one was calendared that some of the provisions of my bill would get a hearing in this body, and maybe get passed into law because I know they’re popular.”

But Marcus’s bill Senate Bill 210 (“Gun Violence Prevention Act”) has languished in the Senate Rules Committee for almost two months since it was first introduced. Her proposed legislation would require North Carolinians to obtain a permit in order to purchase an assault weapon or a long gun and impose a 72-hour waiting period before a purchased firearm could be delivered or possessed. SB 210 would also prohibit the sale of handguns, long guns, or assault-style weapons to minors.

Britt’s Gun Violence Prevention Act (SB 650) is very different. It merely provides for a separate offense for someone who is a convicted felon, who engages in a felony with the use of a firearm.

Marcus said that while SB 650 was not a bad bill, she doubted it would do much to actually reduce gun violence.

“But there are some ideas that are very popular in North Carolina that have been proven, study after study, that would reduce gun violence,” she said. “Some of those were in the bill by the same name that I filed. With that in mind, knowing that these are popular, that the public is asking for them. I have a series of amendments that I would like to offer.”

First up, an amendment that would create universal background checks for all gun purchases.

“I will also point out before you vote to table me that a Fox News poll just in April of this year showed that 87% said that they favor universal background checks,” Marcus offered.

Deputy Senate President Pro Tem Ralph Hise (R-Mitchell) was quick to offer a motion to table Marcus’s amendment and his motion passed on a party line vote, ending further debate.

Sen. Marcus said she hoped her second amendment might be more popular.

“I’ll start this one by mentioning that in that same Fox News poll from last month, 80% of Fox News viewers support this idea; it is red flag laws also known as ‘extreme risk protection orders,'” Marcus said.

“If shown to be true that there’s a situation where someone might be suicidal or homicidal [then] a judge would order temporary removal of the firearms from that person.

This is a tool that judges I know I’ve spoken to, have been begging this legislature to give them to save lives.”

“Move that Amendment Two do lie upon the table,” responded Hise.

Twenty-nine Republicans senators sided with Hise ending debate on the red flag amendment.

But Marcus wasn’t ready to give up. Up next, amendment three.

“So, this one also, very popular in that same Fox News poll, 81% said that they support this idea,” Marcus said in laying the groundwork for an amendment that would keep military style assault weapons out of the hands of teenagers.

“Let’s change North Carolina law. We could do it easily with this amendment to say that until you’re aged 21, you shouldn’t be able to buy that kind of a weapon. That’s what this amendment would do, I want to ask for your support.”

Hise responded just as he had before: “Move that Amendment Three do lie upon the table.” His fellow Republicans obliged and ended the debate on that amendment.

“Senator Marcus, did you want to conclude your remarks?” asked Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger.

“I’m going to try one more time. I’m going to try not to get discouraged. This is another very popular idea.”

Responsible gun owners know that they need to lock up their weapons, Marcus said, but too often guns that are used in crimes are stolen from people’s cars because they don’t lock them up.

“Or those accidental shootings, those really tragic situations where a child gets their hands on a weapon that their parent didn’t lock up and they don’t mean to do it, but they shoot their sibling or a parent.”

Marcus’ fourth and final amendment would have created a class A1 misdemeanor for failure to lock up a gun in one’s house, or a class 2 misdemeanor if a gun is left in a car unlocked.

“It would subject those irresponsible gun owners to punitive damages for the injuries caused by their failure to do so. I beg you to at least agree to this amendment.”

Berger: “Discussion or debate? Senator Hise, for what purpose do you rise?”

Hise: “Move that Amendment Four, do lie upon the table.”

By now, the outcome was predictable. The safe storage amendment went no further.

Senators passed Britt’s version of the Gun Violence Prevention Act (SB 650) but took no additional steps to strengthen the legislation.

Five days later and 1,200 miles away, a 33-year-old gunman with an AR-15-style rifle opened fire at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas claiming eight lives. His motive remains under investigation.

According to the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) there have been 202 mass shootings in the United States from January 1st thru May 7th.  Nearly 100 children under the age of 12 have been killed by gunfire this year, another 214 have been injured.