North Carolina lawmakers focus on guns, immigration and parental rights ahead of a key deadline

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Gun access, parental rights and the response to illegal immigration were front and center this week in North Carolina as Republican lawmakers worked to keep their high-priority bills alive, while many other pieces of legislation are likely dead for two years.

Unlike other years with chaotic late-night sessions full of political bargaining, the lead-up to Thursday’s biennial “crossover deadline” looked more orderly and even wrapped up a day early.

GOP legislative veterans chalked it up to a disciplined House work schedule from new Speaker Destin Hall, and perhaps because fewer “controversial” bills were considered. It doesn’t hurt that parliamentary maneuvers can be used to bypass the deadline and move bills later — if top leaders allow. There are also exceptions for bills involving spending or taxes, constitutional amendments and other topics.

“There are so many ways to skin a cat,” Senate leader Phil Berger told reporters.

Among other things, legislators advanced measures making it easier to retain a concealed handgun permit, as well as ensure immigrants unlawfully in the country can’t get certain state benefits, and make it so minors need a parent’s consent for more kinds of medical treatments. Since bills on these topics passed one General Assembly chamber, they met the deadline.

Here’s a look at some of the recent activity:

Gun access appeared as a leading issue

After a brief debate, the GOP-led House passed a bill that creates lifetime concealed handgun permits and eases training requirements for some people renewing expired permits with fixed durations.

Democratic Rep. Marcia Morey warned that having renewals safeguards the public, because a lifetime permit wouldn’t account for changing circumstances like addiction or mental illnesses.

But Republican proponents emphasized that permits — with or without renewals — don’t prevent bad behavior. Earlier this year, Senate Republicans approved legislation that would allow concealed carry without a permit.

And in the past week, the House and Senate approved competing bills that would allow private K-12 school governing boards to give permission to certain employees or volunteers to carry a concealed handgun on campus for student and staff safety.

Advancing Trump’s immigration agenda

Amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the House passed a bill Wednesday that would bar several state agencies from supplying benefits to immigrants unlawfully in the country. State public universities are also instructed to verify applicants as legal U.S. residents to be considered for instate tuition and financial aid, according to the bill.

Republicans in both chambers have already signaled support for Trump’s immigration policies through bills previously advanced this session.

Emphasis on parents’ rights and protections

Minors would be limited in their ability to consent to most medical treatments on their own, except for pregnancy, according to a bill passed Tuesday in the House. A handful of House Democrats joined Republicans in approving it.

Under current law, minors can provide sole consent for treating sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, substance abuse and mental health conditions. Minors could still consult with doctors about those issues, but the bill maintains parents’ “essential role” in determining the best medical course of action for their children, Republican Rep. Jennifer Balkcom said.

Some Democrats spoke against the bill, saying it would endanger teenagers who feel less inclined to seek treatment for sensitive issues.

The Senate approved legislation Wednesday that would prevent parents from being cited for neglect because they raised their child consistent with the child’s sex assigned at birth.

What didn’t meet crossover?

One House bill with momentum that fell short would have expanded the state’s capital punishment methods from lethal injection to include death by electrocution and a firing squad.

The legislation, which had cleared two committees, would make electrocution the default execution method but allow death-row offenders to choose another option if correction officials have it available.

The firing squad method garnered national attention this year after South Carolina executed the first U.S. prisoner by firing squad in over a decade.

North Carolina hasn’t carried out a state execution since 2006 in part due to a legal impasse involving lethal injections and litigation over racial bias in capital trials.

What’s ahead?

House and Senate leaders will decide the fate of measures from the other chambers.

The state budget process also revs up as House Republicans hope to pass their two-year spending plan before Memorial Day weekend. Negotiations with Senate Republicans, who approved their budget last month, will follow.

In the background is new Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, who has his own ideas on a budget and other legislation. Veto threats could wield Stein more influence since Republicans are now one seat short of a veto-proof majority. Republicans have been able to sway some Democrats on key measures.