North Carolina House votes to end pistol permit requirements

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - N.C. House Republicans in North Carolina have voted to toss out a longstanding requirement that handgun buyers first obtain a permit from their county sheriff.

Republicans approved the measure 67-48 in a party-line vote on Wednesday, disregarding Democrats’ concerns.

Supporters of the previously vetoed proposal say the permit requirement is no longer necessary in light of substantial updates to the national background check system that digitized decades of mental health records.

But Democrats warned that it creates a loophole, because background checks are not mandatory for private gun sales between two individuals.