You have followed along here with Your Survival Guy as state after state has adopted legislation protecting Americans’ right to carry a firearm for self-defense. Twenty-nine states have now enshrined these protections in their law, and North Carolina could be next. Quinn Groves reports in The Daily Tar Heel:
North Carolina Republicans in the General Assembly introduced bills in the House and Senate to remove permit requirements to conceal carry weapons.
Under current state law, people in North Carolina can purchase a handgun at 21-years-old and apply for a concealed carry permit at their local sheriff’s office. To receive a permit, applicants must also pass a safety and training course.
If passed, these bills would allow U.S. citizens with no felonies and no mental illness-related charges, over the age of 18, to conceal carry a weapon.
Other states are looking to expand their protections of the right to bear arms. First up, Wyoming’s legislature has sent a bill to the governor that will repeal gun-free zones. Gun Owners of America reports:
GREAT NEWS! The GOA-backed “Repeal of Gun Free Zones Bill” just passed both Chambers of the Wyoming Legislature and went to the Governor’s Desk!
GOA fought hard to pass this bill in 2022 and 2023, but anti-Second Amendment Leftists stopped the Legislation.
We ultimately got it over the finish line in 2024, only to have Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon veto it.
Now in 2025, Representative Jeremy Haroldson (R – Wheatland) has worked this legislation through the Wyoming Legislature for the second straight year!
It remains to be seen if Gordon will veto the bill again.
In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis is looking to expand last year’s constitutional carry bill to include open carry of firearms. James Call reports in the Tallahassee Democrat:
Gov. Ron DeSantis once again is telling Second Amendment advocates that he would sign a bill to allow them to openly carry a firearm, adding to the ongoing tension with legislative opponents on immigration.
To be sure, DeSantis has previously indicated he supports open carry or what is known as “constitutional carry” but has done little to push such legislation while in office. That said, this past weekend he took to social media to say if lawmakers were to approve such a bill, he would sign it.
“Would be great to see it hit my desk – Florida needs to join the overwhelming majority of states and protect this right…” DeSantis posted on X. Florida currently allows permitless concealed carry, but not open carry.
Not all bills on the right to bear arms are about guns, either. Your Survival Guy suggests you get your gun and your training now, but for some people, that may be too expensive, or they may not be able to get proper training. In New Hampshire, legislators are working on a bill that would legalize some arms that are cheaper and easier to use without training. Claire Sullivan reports in The New Hampshire Bulletin:
The House approved legislation Thursday that would allow adults to have several weapons that are currently prohibited under state law.
House Bill 207 would repeal the ban on blackjacks, a type of weighted baton; slung shots, a weapon with a heavy ball or knot on the end of a rope; and metallic knuckles. The ban would still be in place for those under 18, and people would be prohibited under the bill from selling or otherwise giving these weapons to minors.
It passed the House, 207-162, and still needs approval from the Senate. Eight Democrats joined Republicans in supporting the bill, while seven Republicans voted against it. A similar measure was referred to interim study last year. Another bill that would have completely repealed the ban failed to pass in 2023.
The House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety had recommended, 8-7, that the bill pass.
In the committee report, Rep. Jennifer Rhodes, a Winchester Republican, argued that the majority of the panel felt the current ban was an unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. She also said the weapons could be useful for self-defense, and should not be banned when more lethal weapons are legal.
Action Line: If you’re buying a weapon or already own one, and you want to carry it, be sure to get proper training. In an emergency situation, you won’t rise to the occasion; you’ll fall to the level of your training, and that could make the difference between life and death. Your right to bear arms in your state comes down to whether or not your politicians want you to have the ability to protect yourself, or if they want to give criminals who won’t abide by laws anyway the upper hand. If you’re looking for a state where your rights are respected, begin your search with Your Survival Guy’s recently released 2025 Super States. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
