From a reader, this one took me off guard and surprised me.

North Carolina would scrap its pistol permit system, which requires local sheriffs to sign off on handgun purchases, under a proposal unveiled Tuesday with support from the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association.

Gun rights advocates have pressed for the change for years, but the sheriffs’ association – a lobbying force at the General Assembly – always opposed it. Under the current system, anyone who doesn’t already have a concealed carry permit must file with a sheriff to buy a handgun. That’s not a requirement for rifles.

With recent advances in the database checks gun dealers run at purchase, the pistol permit is no longer needed, Sheriffs’ Association Executive Vice President and General Counsel Eddie Caldwell said Tuesday. The administrative arm of the North Carolina courts system finished uploading involuntary commitment records to the system in 2019, he said.

“Now that those records are uploaded, the [National Instant Criminal Background] check and the pistol permit are duplicative,” he said.

House Bill 398 would do away with that system, and the bill moved through an initial House committee Tuesday on a divided vote. Several Democrats, backed by gun-control groups, said they fear the change will open a loophole, since only licensed firearm dealers have to run background checks.

Regular people who sell a gun to a friend, or to someone they meet at a gun show, for example, don’t have to.

As you know, this isn’t a “loophole.”  That’s just a madeup word the communists like to use for something they don’t like.

Not all Sheriffs support this.  I suspect the Mecklenburg County Sheriff didn’t go for this, and I know the Wake County Sheriff didn’t.  Listen to his interview.  He exudes all the intelligence and mastery of the facts as a second grader.

North Carolina has this antiquated system where you must demonstrate fealty to the CLEO and prove yourself by turning over fees to be licensed to carry or purchase a handgun.

This initially surprised me, but I think I know what’s happening.  The communist governor of NC, the awful, terrible, loathsome, despicable, reprehensible Roy Cooper, will veto it – that’s a sure thing.  There aren’t enough votes to override his veto.  The Sheriff’s association having come out in favor of repealing the permitting scheme is good cover for the Sheriffs who run as republicans.

Politics.  Do you see how this works?  They can take a vote that helps reelect them, but their vote on a bill that will never be approved is as meaningless as the permitting system – except for the revenue it provides.