By Kayland Hagwood for WFMY News Channel 2

North Carolina lawmakers are moving forward with legislation aimed at cracking down on repeat offenders who commit crimes with firearms.

House Bill 28, which advanced through committee on Tuesday, would establish additional penalties for convicted felons who use guns during the commission of new crimes.

“The bill creates new punishment for convicted felons who are prohibited by law from possession of weapons that commit a new felony,” said Rep. Jennifer Balkcom (R-Henderson County), one of the bill’s sponsors.

Under the proposed legislation, felons could face up to nearly five years of additional prison time, with penalties varying based on how the weapon is used during the crime.

“Punishment is based on what the convicted felon does with the weapon,” Balkcom explained during Tuesday’s committee meeting.

The effort comes in response to concerns from law enforcement agencies across the state about an increase in repeat offenders. This includes Mecklenburg County where Democratic Representative Terry Brown has heard similar concerns.

“That is one of the biggest things we talk about with law enforcement as well as conversations I’ve had with D.A. [Spencer Merriweather],” Brown said. “Kind of, the revolving door of repeat offenders who are there.”

While Brown supports the overall goal, he raised questions about enforcement and potential legal issues.

“I also want to make sure that we’re not double dipping and charging folks twice for the same action,” he noted.

Despite these concerns, Brown believes the legislation could serve as an effective deterrent.

“They know the punishment that comes along with being a felon in possession of a firearm and then when you commit another crime, you can know that you’re going to get additional punishment on top of that,” Brown said. “So, it should act as a deterrent to keep folks in Charlotte and across North Carolina safer.”

The bill now heads to the Rules, Calendar and Operations Committee for further review.

Contact Kayland Hagwood at khagwood@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.

The preceding article originally appeared on March 11, 2025 at WFMY News Channel 2’s website and is made available here for educational purposes only. This constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. section 106A-117 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Any views or opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Carolina Leadership Coalition.