The Guilford County Board of Commissioners has set a public hearing for Thursday, August 5 to listen to input on potential changes to the county’s gun ordinances.
Even though those changes under consideration are being billed as “minor” safety-related changes, some gun owners in Guilford County don’t like the fact that the new Democratic-majority Board of Commissioners is even opening a door that has been closed for over 35 years.
One gun owner and gun rights advocate, former Guilford County Commissioner Alan Branson, said this week that he’s concerned that the current board feels compelled to take a new look at the county’s gun ordinances. Branson said he knows of many others with the same worries.
The proposed changes would do things like increase required distances between shooters and people and livestock in the potential line of fire. For instance, shooters may be required to maintain a greater distance from adjoining property or establish a berm behind targets when target shooting. The Guilford County commissioners haven’t adopted any changes yet, however, they’re expected to do so sometime after hearing public input on August 5.
Branson said he’s hearing concern from fellow gun owners
“I’m all for safety,” said Branson, the former District 4 Republican commissioner who was replaced on the board in the November 2020 election by Democrat Mary Beth Murphy.
Branson added quickly that, despite favoring safety, many gun owners he’s spoken with don’t trust the current board – with a 7-to-2 Democratic majority – not to put the camel’s nose under the gun ordinance tent. The county’s gun laws have remained the same since the mid 1980s and have hardly been discussed in the past two decades.
Branson said the current board led by Chairman of the Board of Commissioners Skip Alston has made a number of highly questionable decisions in its first seven months in charge of the county. He said a recent board decision to spend nearly $2 million on a poorly defined COVID-19 “call center” and outreach plan was just the latest in a line of head-scratching decisions.
Branson said he expects that a good number of gun owners will show up at the hearing to express their thoughts.
Guilford County Attorney Mark Payne and other county officials said that the decision to beef up the safety requirements in the gun ordinances came after several events related to bullets striking unintended targets – such as a man on the patio at Sedgefield Country Club.
Payne said he’s aware that any change at all in gun laws can be contentious, but he said the changes now under consideration are simply common-sense safety tweaks meant to encourage responsible gun use rather than to restrict gun rights in any way.
Guilford County Commissioner Justin Conrad, who voted against holding a public hearing on the matter, said existing North Carolina laws already address the issues of concern, and, therefore, Conrad said, changes in the county’s laws are unnecessary.
Typical brainless way to problem solving, let’s go after the law abiding community. Why not unleash the police and allow them to police our community instead of acting security guards. It was said the problem in Greensboro was no black representatives in the upper administrative office of the police department, well with a felon sherriff and black chief of police you got your representatives. So now what’s the problem?
NC General Statute 14-409.40 , State law preempts local governments from regulation in the area of firearms regulations. 2016. Guilford County, you’ll get sued!
More idiotic stuff.These will not do anything of significance.
How about this idea? put the criminals in prison! It’s harder for them to get guns in there! While they are in prison-do a background check on them.
All we need then is Dudley Doright
I to am wary of a County Commission that resurrects interest in changing gun laws when we have more than enough state laws on the books that cover the issues noted by the Council. I ask that the Council stick to County work.
I suggest the County Commissioners instead lobby Raleigh for stiffer penalties for crimes committed with a firearm. It seems lately that whenever I read of an arrest involving a firearm it also includes a felon in possession of a firearm. Bonds are to low for such offenses and clearly current laws are not enough of an deterrent to stop these crimes.
Illegal possession and illegal use of a firearm should be met with severe penalties.
I’ll be there with my NRA hat on
The laws you are talking about are not, ARE NOT where the problem is. Start stopping these thugs running around shooting at people. Stop trying to take it out on good gun owners just because they are easy to get to.
There’s another, more serious, reason they want to disarm the “legal” gun owners, and that is so that they, the government, can do whatever they want, without having to fear any backlash from We, the people.
ANY gun law, according to the 2nd amendment, is unconstitutional and illegal. The 2nd amendment does not GIVE us the right to keep and bear arms – it restricts the government from infringing on our right to keep and bear arms. The government doesn’t give us our rights – our rights were bestowed upon us by our creator.
Anything the government gives us, they can take away, but they cannot take away our rights.
…unless we let them.
Democrats often have solutions in search of a problem………
“Common sense” means “don’t worry about it, it’s no big deal; you can trust us”.
I know what the City Council can do, they can form a committee. That will do it!!! AND do not interfere with the criminals cause they have their rights. Take it or get out of town, that is all we have to live for in Greensboro. I’m sure its the bartenders and restaurant owners fault. And WE ALL have to live with IT!!!!!!!
The proposed changes to gun ordinances by the Commissioners is another attempt to blow up the 2nd Amendment. I am sick and tired of felons with guns committing crimes and facing low or no bail. That is where they need to focus attention. I’m calling for all gun owners who enjoy target shooting to vote these anti 2nd Amendment Commissioners out in the next election.