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RALEIGH, NC — Two firearm-related bills aimed at strengthening Second Amendment protections and enhancing personal defense rights are making their way through the North Carolina House of Representatives. House Bill 427 and House Bill 439

, both sponsored by Representatives Kidwell, Ward, Pike, and other co-sponsors, were referred to key committees in mid-March and await further legislative action.

Summary:House Bill 427 proposes to revise the mental health reporting process for North Carolina’s concealed handgun permit applications. Under current law, mental health providers are required to release detailed records to sheriffs during the permit background check. HB 427 seeks to replace that with a simplified and privacy-respecting “Yes” or “No” statement from mental health professionals on whether an applicant has been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Key Provisions:

Next Steps: HB 427 has been referred to the House Judiciary 2 Committee. If approved there, it will proceed to the Health Committee, followed by the Rules, Calendar, and Operations Committee. If it clears these hurdles, it will move to the House floor for a vote. If passed, the law would take effect October 1, 2025.

Summary:HB 439 seeks to expand legal concealed carry in North Carolina by allowing individuals to carry certain types of knives concealed, provided they meet specific criteria. This change would align knife laws more closely with firearm carry statutes, reinforcing personal protection rights.

Key Provisions:

Next Steps: HB 439 has been referred to the Judiciary 2 Committee and, if favorable, will go to the Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House Committee. If passed, it will take effect December 1, 2025.

Both of these bills represent steps toward refining North Carolina’s weapons laws in ways that promote constitutional rights while maintaining public safety. HB 427 addresses privacy concerns related to mental health disclosures in the permitting process, reducing unnecessary invasions of personal medical history. HB 439 acknowledges the utility of edged tools for lawful self-defense, especially in non-firearm carry contexts, and recognizes that responsible adults can be trusted with such tools under reasonable guidelines.

As these bills progress through the legislative process, North Carolina gun owners and self-defense advocates will be watching closely. Both proposals, if enacted, would bolster the rights of law-abiding citizens without compromising public safety.

Two proposed bills would bar “adversarial” foreign governments from holding agricultural land in North Carolina.

Two committees in the North Carolina General Assembly voted Tuesday morning to approve legislation banning certain foreign entities from acquiring farmland in the state.

The House Homeland Security and Military and Veterans Affairs Committee took up House Bill 133, “NC Farmland and Military Protection Act.” About an hour later, the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee approved the upper chamber’s counterpart, Senate Bill 394, “Prohibit Foreign Ownership of NC Land.”

Both measures now head to subsequent panels — House Commerce and Economic Development and Senate Judiciary, respectively.

At a time of rocky international relations due to the Trump administration’s tariffs, the legislation could signify a move toward increased tension with foreign countries.

HB 133, sponsored by Reps. Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson), Neal Jackson (R-Moore, Randolph), Jeff Zenger (R-Forsyth), and John Bell (R-Goldsboro), would prohibit “adversarial” foreign governments from purchasing, acquiring, or leasing agricultural land in North Carolina, according to the bill text.

The restrictions would also apply to land situated within a 75-mile radius of a military installation — a number influenced by national defense recommendations, Balkcom said — such as Fort Bragg near Fayetteville. A complete list of applicable installations is outlined in the bill text.

“If it was up to me, I’d do the entire state,” Balkcom said. “But this doesn’t infringe on private property rights. You can sell it to anybody but a foreign national that’s an adversary against the United States.”

Rep. Celeste Cairns (R-Carteret, Craven) asked for clarification on the bill’s parameters. She asked if people would be able to sell property to individual citizens of the “adversarial” countries without connection to their government.

Balkcom responded in the affirmative. In response to a question from Rep. Wyatt Gable (R-Onslow) about how the “adversarial” governments are defined, she said there’s guidance from the U.S. Department of Defense.

Although the bill doesn’t list specific countries, it refers to governments subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Over in the upper chamber, Sens. Bob Brinson (R-Beaufort, Craven, Lenoir), Bobby Hanig (R-Bertie, Camden, Currituck, Dare, Gates, Hertford, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell), and Timothy Moffitt (R-Henderson, Polk, Rutherford) serve as the primary sponsors for SB 394.

The measure explicitly refers to the “adversarial” nations by name: China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

Brinson described the legislation as a state effort to protect national security, because “food security is national security.”

“The key purpose of this bill is to both safeguard our agricultural integrity and to protect our national security,” he said. “This bill ensures that North Carolina farmland does not come under international adversarial control, and also prevents adversarial nations from acquiring land near sensitive military installations.”

SB 394 is more restrictive than its House counterpart. The proposal bars the prohibited foreign parties from making claims to land situated within a 25-mile radius of a military installation or land underneath special use airspace as designated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sen. Lisa Grafstein (D-Wake) pointed out there is a growing population of Chinese immigrants and Chinese Americans in the state. She asked if the bill would ban someone from purchasing land if they are a legal resident of the U.S. with Chinese citizenship.

“If they’re a resident alien of the U.S., they have the same right to acquire or hold land as a citizen, as long as they’re a resident in the state,” Brinson said. “As long as they are a legal resident alien, they should have the same land ownership rights as a citizen.”

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As the popularity of AI grows, many North Carolina institutions are finding ways to keep students on top of this new technology. Since 2020, programs like Duke University’s Master’s in Engineering in Artificial Intelligence and North Carolina State University’s AI Academy have been on the rise.

But, more recently, three colleges and universities across central N.C. are founding unique programs for their institutions.

N.C. A&T is still on track to launch its bachelor's degree program in AI, the first of its kind in the state. They announced the program last year and will accept the first cohort of students this fall.

Clayton Clark, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with N.C. A&T's College of Engineering, said the program will help students get ahead on emerging technology.

"I believe AI is going to be similar to what sustainability was 15 to 20 years ago,” Clark told WUNC. “There was a big pushback then for sustainability to be a standalone and everyone was bringing that in. But, now sustainability is a tool in every track, every application, every research. I think AI is going to be the same thing.”

The degree will work as a partnership between the College of Engineering and the College of Science and Technology. Each will offer a track — design and development, or technical application, respectively — that students can specialize in. Clark said internships will also be built into the curriculum.

“I would say for all those students who are looking to be on the forefront of innovation, and not only computer engineering, computer science, information technology, but anything that may grow and grow with technological boundaries as we go into this next generation, this will be the perfect support in the foundation for everything you want to do in your future,” he said.

Clark estimated up to 150 students have already enrolled in the degree program.

Last year, N.C. Central University received a $1 million grant from Google.org, the charitable arm of Google. The school is using it to launch the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Equity Research. According to NCCU, it’s the first program of its kind among HBCUs.

"I believe AI is going to be similar to what sustainability was 15 to 20 years ago. There was a big pushback then for sustainability to be a standalone and everyone was bringing that in. But, now sustainability is a tool in every track, every application, every research. I think AI is going to be the same thing.” — Clayton Clark, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs with N.C. A&T's College of Engineering

"A lot of what we're trying to do with this grant, it's a two-year grant, is we're trying to impact 200 students over the course of two years, and we're going to do that through curriculum, through workshops, seminars, mentorship and research,” said Siobahn Day Grady, the institute’s director.

Grady said the idea for the institute came through work she was already doing through NCCU’s School of Library Information Sciences. However, the institute gives her the chance to engage with the entire campus and the community.

“Our institute is public facing, meaning that we have other people who are also watching the work that we're doing, which is exciting, because a lot of what the grant was written about also is to position NCCU as a national leader in AI,” she said.

The institute won't open until the summer, but Grady said they're already holding a seminar series with industry leaders, like Open AI, Anthropic, and FICO. There are also multiple research opportunities open for students and faculty alike. Their Seed Grant Program, for example, provides a funding source for faculty who want to research AI.

“As I continue to look for other funding for the sustainability of this institute, I'm hoping that even though everyone is not a technologist or a computer scientist, that they too will see the benefits, and these tools and technologies help them advance their careers, and that they can be leaders in this space,” Grady said.

While Wake Tech already offers a handful of courses in AI, they’re hoping to guide AI practices across the institution.

Ryan Schwiebert, the college's VP of Information Technology and the Chief Information Officer, said that desire inspired their new threaded AI council.

“We have focused on bringing a group of people together who are interested and can advocate for the use of AI across the institution and in our service area, but that they would also help us with training, that they would help ensure that we're properly governing the use of AI tools and ensuring a successful implementation” Schwiebert said.

Alongside the council, which is made up of volunteers, Wake Tech has put together a steering committee that offers more official generative AI guidance.

As for educational opportunities, Schwiebert said Wake Tech wants students to learn about AI in an everyday way, through subjects they're already taking.

“The strategy has been to get the faculty interested in not only using it for themselves, but also teaching it in their courses,” he said. “There's also a lot of value in teaching AI in conjunction with the subject matter that already exists. So within an English class, or within a programming class, incorporating AI into that, because I think pretty strongly that we're not going to really see jobs replaced by AI, but they will be changed by AI. And so allowing our students to understand that a little bit more and then utilize that, that should help them be more competitive in the job market and in employment.”

Wake Tech’s council is in earlier stages than N.C. A&T’s and NCCU’s programs. But, Schwiebert said the council has a lot of potential — from developing a training program for personnel using AI, to helping identify AI initiatives the college could involve itself in, to exploring how AI could aid student resources, like tutoring.

“I think the best thing to do with AI is probably to not stick your head in the sand and ignore it,” he said. “I would recommend highly that you at least try some things out. Nothing's going to be perfect out of the gate, and just be sure that you set some parameters out and see what you could do with it.”

NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina, recently announced that the organization has awarded 11 Rural Impact grants to companies across the state. Over $1.2 million in funding is earmarked to address the needs of rural entrepreneurs, with $500,000 of this amount contributed by Wells Fargo.

“Today’s funding announcement marks a significant investment into the equitable startup ecosystems of North Carolina and underscores our commitment to empower more people to pursue their entrepreneurial ambition,” said President and CEO of NC IDEA Thom Ruhe in a press release. “In this critical moment, it is essential to continue our work to strengthen North Carolina’s entrepreneurial support infrastructure for underserved populations. We are grateful for the added support of our partner Wells Fargo to specifically champion and uplift rural entrepreneurship.”

Rural Impact grants have been awarded as part of an initiative to support rural entrepreneurship across the state. These new grants provide funding for previous NC IDEA MICRO and SEED grant recipients to support their continued growth, address resource gaps, and foster economic development in the rural counties of our state. The $200,000 commitment from Wells Fargo is providing grants of up to $20,000 to the following companies either headquartered in a rural county or with a clear and significant impact on rural communities in North Carolina.

Within Greater Fayetteville Business Journal’s coverage area two businesses received funding:

Active Defender in Carthage, NC and Phinite in Clinton, NC.

Phinite, Inc. is a leader in agricultural technology and sustainable fertilizer manufacturing. In October 2024, the company announced plans to establish its next-generation manufacturing plant in Sampson County. The company plans to invest approximately $5.5 million, and create 23 new jobs in Turkey, NC.

Active Defender is a technology company focused on securing and protecting schools through continued advancements in communication, security systems , emergency live streaming and more. For over 23 years, Active Defender has created innovative solutions to complex problems and worked to revolutionize safety on school campuses and businesses nationwide.

“We are proud to continue our support for NC IDEA and their work to provide North Carolina’s rural entrepreneurs access to the resources and opportunities they need to thrive and grow,” said Community Relations Director for Wells Fargo Jay Everette in a press release. “We all know small businesses are the backbone of our communities – and Wells Fargo is committed to making meaningful investments to help set them up for success.”

Support from Wells Fargo related to NC IDEA’S rural entrepreneurship initiatives first began in June 2024 when they funded a comprehensive report with in-depth analysis and recommendations around rural entrepreneurship. These recent grants are a direct outcome of the report's findings on how to best support the needs of rural entrepreneurs statewide.

A bill that would eliminate North Carolina’s 2030 carbon-cutting deadline and expand utilities' ability to charge customers for future power plants advanced in the state Senate on Tuesday, despite concerns about risks to ratepayers and the state’s climate goals.

The proposal would remove a key provision of House Bill 951, North Carolina’s landmark 2021 energy law, which requires utilities to cut carbon emissions 70% from 2005 levels by 2030. It would also expand the use of Construction Work in Progress, or CWIP — a mechanism first authorized under a 2007 law — to allow utilities like Duke Energy to begin charging customers for nuclear and natural gas plants before those plants are completed or generating power.

State Sen. Paul Newton, R-Cabarrus, a former Duke Energy president and the bill’s lead sponsor, said removing the 2030 target would help protect ratepayers from rising costs and give utilities more flexibility to build large, reliable power plants.

"This bill is about lowering costs and protecting ratepayers," Newton said, calling the 2030 deadline “arbitrary” and arguing that growing demand requires a mix of baseload power such as nuclear and natural gas.

Newton cited estimates from public staff that the bill could save ratepayers $13 billion. The modeling behind that figure included questionable assumptions — such as a nonexistent $10,000-per-ton carbon tax and an incorrect assumption that natural gas would no longer be available as a resource in North Carolina after 2034.

Democratic lawmakers raised concerns about both the modeling and the risks to customers, warning that allowing utilities to charge for power plants before they are built could leave ratepayers responsible for billions if projects are delayed or canceled.

“There are real concerns about what we're asking ratepayers to take on here,” said state Sen. DeAndrea Salvador, D-Mecklenburg, who urged lawmakers to pause the bill and review the modeling. "I don’t want to vote on a bill that promises things and we can’t see how that was made."

Salvador and others pointed to South Carolina's V.C. Summer nuclear project, which was abandoned after years of construction, leaving customers to pay more than $9 billion for a plant that was never finished.

State Sen. Lisa Grafstein, D-Wake, questioned why ratepayers — not Duke Energy shareholders — should shoulder the risk for these projects, noting that Duke is already guaranteed a profit under state law.

"Why not let shareholders take on that risk?" Grafstein asked.

Although supporters of the bill focused heavily on affordability, critics said it could have the opposite effect by locking in more reliance on expensive, volatile fossil fuels.

Natural gas prices have been one of the biggest drivers of recent energy cost spikes in North Carolina. A 2024 analysis by EQ Research found that between 46% and 67% of Duke Energy’s residential rate increases since 2017 were tied to rising gas prices.

“At a time of rising energy costs, this bill is a bad deal for ratepayers,” said Will Scott, director of Southeast climate and clean energy for the Environmental Defense Fund. “Our recent analysis showed that North Carolina does not need any more baseload gas power plants, yet this bill fast-tracks those plants’ costs onto North Carolinians’ power bills. Let’s stick to our goals to reduce harmful power plant pollution and minimize customer exposure to volatile gas prices.”

Some lawmakers also raised concerns that eliminating the 2030 carbon-cutting target would undermine the state’s efforts to address climate change.

"You can’t just flip a switch in 2049 and suddenly have a zero-carbon grid," Grafstein said, adding that interim goals help ensure steady progress and prevent costly last-minute decisions.

Newton, however, dismissed the urgency of near-term emissions cuts.

"There's not a scientist on the globe that will tell you we're harming the environment by moving to 2050," Newton said. "We can shut down North Carolina today entirely and walk away — it will have no impact on the climate."

Still, climate scientists with the United Nations have warned that cutting global carbon emissions in half by 2030 is critical to avoid the worst effects of climate change. The United States is the world’s second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

While current law already allows utilities to recover some construction costs through rate cases, Senate Bill 261 would allow Duke and others to seek approval to recover those costs outside of a general rate case.

Newton noted that spreading out costs during construction would prevent “rate shock” when plants come online and avoid potential credit downgrades that could make borrowing more expensive.

But sate Sen. Julie Mayfield, D-Buncombe, said customers in other states have ended up paying the price when similar pre-funding policies led to projects that failed or ran wildly over budget.

“I don’t want us to be in the same situation as Georgia’s Vogtle plant or South Carolina’s V.C. Summer,” Mayfield said, referencing two nuclear projects plagued by delays and ballooning costs.

In a statement to WRAL News, a Duke Energy spokesperson said: “Policies that enable more timely recovery of investments in modern infrastructure help keep overall costs down for customers and result in more predictable energy prices by avoiding sudden spikes. This process would be subject to regulatory oversight to ensure the protection of customers’ interests.”

The bill passed the Senate Agriculture, Energy, and Environment Committee on Tuesday and now heads to the Senate Rules Committee for further consideration.

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