Tillis and Hudson sponsoring gun legislation

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The gun debate is heating up in the wake of this fall’s mass shootings.

Two new measures with backing from North Carolina members of Congress are being introduced.

The first bill would require states to recognize concealed carry permits from other states. It is sponsored by Republican Congressman Richard Hudson.

The second updates the federal background check system after problems were found following a mass shooting at a Texas church earlier this month.

After that church shooting it was determined the gunman, Devon Patrick Kelly, had domestic assault convictions in his background and should not have been able to legally purchase the guns he used to kill two dozen people.

However, the information about those convictions was never entered by the Air Force in to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS.

Larry Hyatt who owns the Hyatt Gun and Coin Shop in Charlotte, has been trying for years to get the NICS system fixed.

“The problem that we have now is there are some jurisdictions and even some of our military bases that have not reported criminal activity to the NICS system," said Hyatt.

The bill, co-sponsored by Republican Senator Thom Tillis is designed to improve the NICS system.

In a statement, Tillis said the legislation mandates, “…that the national background check system receives the information necessary to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands.”

The other proposed bill filed by Republican Congressman Richard Hudson would allow someone with a concealed carry permit from one state to use that permit in any other state.

Hudson said his proposed legislation would not infringe on any state’s rights. “Any state or municipality can still have rules about, you know, preventing concealed carry in certain places or prevent certain types of weapons, so none of those things are affected by it.”