GRNC Alert 6-19-13: Tell NC House to Close ‘Arming Felons Loophole’

Sheriffs’ Association agenda clarified in shady fundraising & prior featherbedding by its chief lobbyist. Don’t let NCSA kill HB 937!

Involvement of $290,000/yr unelected North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) Executive Director Eddie Caldwell in opposition to eliminating the discriminatory and obsolete, but potentially lucrative, pistol permit system becomes clearer after GRNC has learned that fully 50% of funds raised by that group are used for further fundraising. Of the remainder, a large proportion are used to pay Caldwell’s generous salary and benefits.

According to a 2007 WCNC interview with Better Business Bureau representative, Tom Bartholomy, this breakdown is “…way too high. If we had done an evaluation of this charity they would not meet our standards”.

Additional evidence of inappropriate, myopic NCSA focus on financial support for Caldwell is their prior pressure on the NC Assembly to grant a special exemption to enroll him, a non-state employee, in the State Employees Retirement System. Said the NC Police Benevolent Association: “Long known LEO operative, Eddie Caldwell, seeks to pad his own wallet on the backs of [a] disabled cops bill.”

Based upon Caldwell’s current salary, this would have resulted in a yearly retirement salary of about $135,000. Fortunately for NC taxpayers, this effort was shot-down.

Non-profit NCSA using YOUR money to lobby against you!

So why would Caldwell guide sheriffs to retain a Jim Crow-era law under which sheriffs issue untraceable, irrevocable paper permits, good for 5 years, which let felons bypass computerized background checks, also known as the “arming felons loophole?“

Specifically, as a not-for-profit, tax exempt organization, why is NCSA using your own money to lobby against you?

Money and power: Caldwell’s money (he got blindsided in the Senate and wants to protect his cozy gig), and sheriffs’ power. For their own part, sheriffs want the ability to deny permits to whomever they want. In communications with constituents, they admit wanting to deny permits to people:

•    With “pending violations” for infractions which would not be a bar to owning guns under federal law;

•    To people with unspecified “mental health issues,” despite utter lack of mental health training and qualifications;

•    And to limit the number of firearms you can buy to as few as 5 per year — WORSE THAN 1-GUN-A-MONTH LAWS; and far more.

NCSA and Eddie Caldwell are more interested in maintaining their cash cow than in closing this “armed felon loophole” once and for all.

IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED!

If you have already emailed and called, email and call again!

•    EMAIL & CALL SPEAKER THOM TILLIS: Let him know that you appreciate his earlier efforts, but that the Senate has upped the ante and now he needs to resist the power-hungry NC Sheriffs’ Assoc. and pass HB 937 AS IS by making sure the House VOTES TO CONCUR. To contact Speaker Tillis, email Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net and call him on Thursday morning at 919-733-3451.

•    EMAIL NC House Republicans: Using the copy-and-paste list below, tell them to ask Speaker Tillis why he has sent HB 937 to the Rules Committee, where bills are usually sent to die.

•    CALL and VISIT Your NC Representative: Find your Representative using the NCGA map located HERE, or go to: http://ncga.state.nc.us/representation/WhoRepresentsMe.aspx. Directions: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/NCGAInfo/visitinglegcomplex.html. Map of legislative complex: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/graphics/downtownmap.pdf

•    HELP GRNC PASS HB 937: GRNC has spent tens of thousands of dollars on radio spots, alerts and legislative team expenses to pass what could be the most pro-gun initiative in North Carolina history, but we can’t do it without your support, so please CLICK HERE or go to: http://www.grnc.org/join-grnc/contribute

Contact Information

Use the following cut-and-paste email list to contact NC House Republicans:

Dean.Arp@ncleg.net; Marilyn.Avila@ncleg.net; John.Bell@ncleg.net; Hugh.Blackwell@ncleg.net; Jamie.Boles@ncleg.net; Robert.Brawley@ncleg.net; Brian.Brown@ncleg.net; Rayne.Brown@ncleg.net; Rob.Bryan@ncleg.net; Dana.Bumgardner@ncleg.net; Justin.Burr@ncleg.net; Rick.Catlin@ncleg.net; George.Cleveland@ncleg.net; Jeff.Collins@ncleg.net; Debra.Conrad@ncleg.net; Leo.Daughtry@ncleg.net; Ted.Davis@ncleg.net; Jimmy.Dixon@ncleg.net; Josh.Dobson@ncleg.net; Jerry.Dockham@ncleg.net; Nelson.Dollar@ncleg.net; Jeffrey.Elmore@ncleg.net; John.Faircloth@ncleg.net; Jim.Fulghum@ncleg.net; Mike.Hager@ncleg.net; Jon.Hardister@ncleg.net; Kelly.Hastings@ncleg.net; Mark.Hollo@ncleg.net; Bryan.Holloway@ncleg.net; Craig.Horn@ncleg.net; Julia.Howard@ncleg.net; Pat.Hurley@ncleg.net; Frank.Iler@ncleg.net; Charles.Jeter@ncleg.net; Linda.Johnson2@ncleg.net; Bert.Jones@ncleg.net; Jonathan.Jordan@ncleg.net; Donny.Lambeth@ncleg.net; James.Langdon@ncleg.net; David.Lewis@ncleg.net; Chris.Malone@ncleg.net; Susan.Martin@ncleg.net; Pat.McElraft@ncleg.net; Chuck.McGrady@ncleg.net; Allen.McNeill@ncleg.net; Chris.Millis@ncleg.net; Tim.Moffitt@ncleg.net; Tim.Moore@ncleg.net; Tom.Murry@ncleg.net; Michele.Presnell@ncleg.net; Nathan.Ramsey@ncleg.net; Dennis.Riddell@ncleg.net; Stephen.Ross@ncleg.net; Jason.Saine@ncleg.net; Ruth.Samuelson@ncleg.net; Jacqueline.Schaffer@ncleg.net; Mitchell.Setzer@ncleg.net; Phil.Shepard@ncleg.net; Paul.Stam@ncleg.net; Edgar.Starnes@ncleg.net; Bob.Steinburg@ncleg.net; Sarah.Stevens@ncleg.net; Michael.Stone@ncleg.net; John.Szoka@ncleg.net; Thom.Tillis@ncleg.net; John.Torbett@ncleg.net; Rena.Turner@ncleg.net; Harry.Warren@ncleg.net; Andy.Wells@ncleg.net; Roger.West@ncleg.net; Chris.Whitmire@ncleg.net

DELIVER THIS MESSAGE   

To Speaker Tillis/House Republicans:

(Suggested subject line: CLOSE ARMING FELONS LOOPHOLE: CONCUR ON HB 937)

Honorable Members of the North Carolina House:

The obsolete and discriminatory pistol permit system being protected by North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association (NCSA) Executive Director Eddie Caldwell, whose paper-based permits are untraceable, irrevocable and valid for 5 years, is allowing felons to bypass modern, computer-based point-of-sale NICS checks in what is a clear “arming felons loophole.”

There are only two reasons NCSA might want to maintain this dangerous system: (1) power to use this Jim Crow-era law to discriminate against applicants without due process and; (2) to maintain the flow of application fees that the association is now trying to double. To further these selfish interests, NCSA is willing to deny law-abiding NC voters expanded protection of Second Amendment rights provided by HB 937.

I strongly urge members to contact Speaker Thom Tillis and ask him why HB 937 has been relegated to the Rules Committee, where legislation is often sent to die; I urge you to bring HB 937 to a prompt vote; I urge you to vote to CONCUR on HB 937; and most of all…

I urge you to close the “arming felons loophole!”

Please advise me of your position on this issue: I will be monitoring your actions via Grass Roots North Carolina legislative alerts.

Sincerely,

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