Grass Roots North Carolina / Forum For Firearms Education
Post Office Box 10665, Raleigh, NC 27605
877.282.0939 (Phone) 919.573.0354 (Fax) www.GRNC.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release date: June 18, 2021

Cooper vetoes church safety bill

GRNC will push for veto over-ride

[Raleigh] Governor Roy Cooper today vetoed S. 43, “Protect Religious Meeting Places,” which would allow concealed handgun permit-holders to protect themselves in churches which have increasingly become the targets of violent sociopaths.

Concealed handgun permit-holders have lawfully carried without incident in North Carolina churches since 1995. If the church sponsors a school, however, it becomes “educational property,” where possession of a firearm is prohibited by law. The bill would permit concealed carry only outside the hours of curricular or extra-curricular school activities.

Although Republicans do not hold the super-majority needed to over-ride Cooper’s veto, enough Democrats voted for the bill to over-ride the veto if those Democrats don’t sell out constituents by changing their votes.

Said GRNC president Paul Valone: “Given that North Carolina concealed handgun permit-holders have been safely carrying in many churches since 1995, there is no rational reason for Governor Cooper’s veto of SB 43. It is disappointing but by no means surprising that Governor Cooper puts politics ahead of keeping religious meeting places safe from increasingly common violent attacks. 

“GRNC is calling upon legislators of both parties to over-ride the veto. If the effort fails and a church killing takes place in North Carolina as it has elsewhere, we will hold responsible both Gov. Cooper and those who support his veto.”