As you may recall, in a move mimicking Joe Biden’s abuse of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives to harass gun owners and dealers, anti-gun NC Attorney General Josh Stein’s Department of Justice is scheming to unilaterally and perhaps illegally undermine training for NC concealed handgun permits (CHPs).

On June 23, NC CHP instructors received a memo announcing changes which will make it harder for CHP applicants to receive required training. Although the NC Criminal Justice Standards Division, which reports to Stein, is holding a token public meeting on August 9, the memo stated the changes are already drawn up without public comment as required by N.C.G.S. 150B-21.2, saying: “These changes will take effect on October 1, 2023. Below is a summary of the changes that are being made by the Commission…”

Stein wants to register gun owners

Even worse than the “Pre-Delivery Report” requirement, under which instructors would be forbidden to plan classes less than 30 days in advance, Stein’s proposal would require an auditable list of concealed handgun students to be maintained by instructors, creating a defacto gun owner registration system.

Many gun owners take concealed carry classes strictly for education, with no intention of getting a permit. Under Stein’s proposal, they would now be on a list available to the state. Anyone who thinks that won’t be abused is naïve, as evidenced by Joe Biden’s ATF, under which inspectors are now photographing FFL’s bound books of Form 4473s to grow the illegal gun registry ATF is creating.

Indeed, Stein’s proposal may be unconstitutional by virtue of infringing on your First Amendment right of association.

Make your voice heard on August 9

The public hearing on the changes will be held at 10:00am at the Wake Technical Community College, Public Safety Training Center, 321 Chapanoke Rd, Raleigh. Yes, they set it during working hours, quite probably to suppress attendance. ATTEND ANYWAY!

• CALL & EMAIL ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSH STEIN:  Using the message below, let him know in no uncertain terms that you hold him responsible for using NCDOJ to harass concealed handgun applicants and instructors and that you will remember it. Call Stein at 919-716-6400. To ensure reaching him by email, use all 3 of these addresses: 
  josh.stein@ncdoj.gov; jstein@ncdoj.gov; info@JoshStein.org
  
  
• CALL & EMAIL CRIMINAL JUSTICE STANDARDS PERSONNEL: Call Director Jeffrey Smythe (919-779-8203); Assistant Director Michelle Schilling (919-779-8205), and Program Director Bob Overton (984-275-7119) then email them at the following addresses: 
  jsmythe@ncdoj.gov; MSchilling@ncdoj.gov; boverton@ncdoj.gov
  
  
• EMAIL TRAINING STANDARDS COMMISSION MEMBERS: Use the following copy-and-paste list: 
  cblue@townofchapelhill.org; richardaepley@yahoo.com; Estella.patterson@raleighnc.gov; fesellers@northcarolina.edu; henryaa@wssu.edu; billy.gartin@raleighnc.gov; Jacques.gilbert@apexnc.org; welty@sog.unc.edu
  
  
• ATTEND THE AUGUST 9 PUBLIC MEETING: It will be held at 10:00am at the Wake Technical Community College, Public Safety Training Center, 321 Chapanoke Rd, Raleigh. Yes, they set it during working hours, quite probably to suppress attendance. ATTEND ANYWAY! 

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Suggested Subject:  "Stop harassing concealed carry applicants"  

Attorney General Stein, NCCJSD staff and commissioners:

I am outraged that you ae playing politics with our concealed handgun training system, which has operated successfully since 1995. In a move straight from the playbook of the Biden Administration, which is using the BATFE to harass lawful gun owners and dealers, you are using the NC Criminal Justice Standards Division and NC Criminal Justice Education & Training Standards Committee to hamstring concealed carry instructors and students.

The requirement for a 30 day “Pre-Delivery Report” from instructors will make it harder for students to schedule requisite training, almost certainly suppressing applications and rendering citizens vulnerable to violent crime at exactly the time flawed public policies have increased criminal predation.

Requiring instructors to maintain a roster even of students who don’t ultimately apply for permits is a dangerous invasion of privacy that suggests registration of gun owners.

Worse, by all reports and the wording of the June 23 memo to instructors, the changes were devised unilaterally and without public input, potentially in violation of N.C.G.S. 150B-21.2.

If these changes are not rescinded or otherwise mitigated, I will support efforts to change the concealed handgun system in the NC General Assembly. I will also advise friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances of Attorney General Stein’s malfeasance as he runs for North Carolina governor.

I will be monitoring this issue through Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Respectfully,