ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Gov. Josh Stein vetoed a bill Friday that would have allowed most adults 18 and older in North Carolina to carry concealed weapons without a permit or training.
Senate Bill 50 sought to eliminate the state’s current concealed carry permitting process, which requires applicants to be at least 21 years old and complete a firearms safety and training course. The bill would have lowered the age limit to 18 and removed the need for any permit, effectively allowing concealed carry in most public spaces with few exceptions.
In a statement explaining his veto, Stein called the legislation “dangerous.”
“This bill makes North Carolinians less safe and undermines responsible gun ownership,” Stein said in a statement. “Authorizing teenagers to carry a concealed weapon with no training whatsoever is dangerous. The bill would also make the job of a law enforcement officer more difficult and less safe. We can and should protect the right to bear arms without recklessly endangering law enforcement officers and our people.”
Senate Bill 50 was one of three bills vetoed by the governor on Friday. Stein also rejected Senate Bill 153 and House Bill 318.
The Republican-led General Assembly could attempt to override the vetoes in a future session.
Senate Bill 153 would have required state law enforcement agencies to enter into immigration enforcement agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and imposed new restrictions on undocumented immigrants’ access to public services, beyond what is required under federal law. It also proposed reducing immunity protections for local governments that did not comply with anti-sanctuary ordinances.
“At a time when our law enforcement is already stretched thin, this bill takes state law enforcement officers away from their existing state duties and forces them to act as federal immigration agents,” Stein said in the statement. “Furthermore, under current law, people without lawful immigration status already are prevented from receiving Medicaid, SNAP, Section 8, and other benefits.”
House Bill 318 would have expanded requirements passed in 2024 mandating sheriffs’ cooperation with ICE. The measure would have broadened the list of offenses triggering immigration status checks, delayed the start of the required 48-hour ICE detainer hold, and required jails to notify ICE in advance of releasing individuals held on detainers.
“I am vetoing House Bill 318 because it is unconstitutional. I support the bill’s efforts to require sheriffs to contact federal immigration authorities about people in their custody charged with sexual battery, armed robbery, arson, assault on public officials and court personnel, and other dangerous crimes,” Stein said. “People who commit these crimes should be held accountable, whether or not they are here without legal authorization, and those charged with serious offenses ought to receive increased scrutiny from federal immigration officials.
“My oath of office requires that I uphold the Constitution of the United States. Therefore, I cannot sign this bill because it would require sheriffs to unconstitutionally detain people for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released. The Fourth Circuit is clear that local law enforcement officers cannot keep people in custody solely based on a suspected immigration violation. But let me be clear: anyone who commits a serious crime in North Carolina must be prosecuted and held accountable regardless of their immigration status.”