North Carolina Democrats to Model California Gun Laws
Rachel 06.07.18
A North Carolina bill entitled “Ensure Safe Handguns” was introduced recently, intending to model California’s Roster of Handguns Certified for Sale and Recently Removed Handguns legislation. HB1060 would allow North Carolina Democrats to put all handguns through a testing process to determine whether or not the handgun in question is safe for public use, or could be dangerous to the user.
Testing, according to the bill, would be conducted in the following manner:
Testing. – The Department may test, or contract with an independent handgun testing 34 laboratory to test, handguns (i) that the Department believes should be added to the roster 35 required under subsection (c) of this section or (ii) that the Department believes, based on credible 36 information received by the Department from at least two credible sources, should be removed 37 from the roster required under subsection (c) of this section. The Department may only utilize 38 one of the tests described in subdivision (3) of subsection (a) of this section when testing 39 handguns under this subsection. The Department may utilize the authority granted under 40 subsection (g) of this section to add or remove handguns under this subsection from the roster 41 required under subsection (c) of this section.
The Recently Removed Handguns roster from the California Department of Justice is over 160 pages long and lists hundreds of firearms including semi-auto pistols, revolvers, and even derringers which are illegal to purchase, transfer, or own in the Sunshine State. HB 1060 aims to mimic the roster. In fact, Democratic House Whip, Verla Insko had this to say:
I grew up in a hunting, gun owner family and had a brother who was a gunsmith and gun shop owner. Gun safety was a very high priority. Misfires are uncommon; but they can be deadly. I heard of one recently in Orange County that involved a law enforcement officer’s handgun, a gun that would surely be on the approved list.
Republicans currently dominate the House and Senate in North Carolina and not many legislators seem to be worried about the bill gaining any steam. However, with elections just a few months away, a change in political control could radically sway the future of HB1060 and other similar gun control legislation.
