U.S.A. –-(AmmoLand.com)- A recent article I wrote on the veto override vote in North Carolina characterized the vote as Rogue Republicans and Democrats Join Forces to uphold NC Governor Veto of Gun Reform. I have been informed that was a misleading headline.
I was correct on who voted which way, as far as the sources I used (Legiscan, Ballotpedia and the NC legislative site), which were linked in the article.
Here is the final official record from the North Carolina legislature. It shows the excused absences and the Democrats who changed their vote to uphold the Governor’s veto. Those Democrats were:
- Rep. Beasly, District 92
- Rep. Farmer-Butterfield, District 24
- Rep. John Sr., District 40
- Rep. Lucas, District 42
- Rep. Pierce, District 48
- Rep. Turner, District 116
Both John Richardson and Paul Valone, who I value as associates and friends, have contacted me to correct some of the analysis in the article.
Both of them are closer to the scene and have great insight into the details of the vote.
The five Republicans who were absent for the override vote were excused by the Republican leadership because they knew they were going to lose the override vote. The five are reliable allies in reforming NC gun law.
John Richardson writes that two of the five who were not present, Representatives Elmore (District 94) and Rogers (District 112), have four-star ratings form Grass Roots North Carolina as particularly effective supporters of the Second Amendment and the right to keep and bear arms.
All five Republicans mentioned deserve support instead of castigation.
- Rep. Davis, District 4.
- Rep. Elmore, District 94
- Rep. Lambeth, District 75
- Rep. Rogers, District 112
- Rep. Yarborough, District 2
The session had been long and brutal. All five wanted to override the veto by far-left Governor Cooper. They did not have the votes to do so and had good reason to be elsewhere on the day of the override vote. They were absent for all the override votes that day, not just for the gun law reform vote.
Paul Valone, of Grass Roots North Carolina, who has an encyclopedic understanding of North Carolina politics, especially when it comes to fighting for the right to arms, informed me the Republicans did not have enough votes to override ( I made the same observation). If the absent Republicans had been present, more Democrats would have switched their votes, to defeat the override.
I appreciate the added information provided by Paul and John.
Let me correct the record to show the Republican leadership did not collude with the Democrats to stop the veto override. They already knew they had lost the vote, so they allowed five of their members, who had urgent business elsewhere, to be absent for all votes July 8th.
I recommend you read John Richardson’s article about the veto override, to obtain even more details.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.