By Dr. Mark Creech
Return America
When engaging legislative matters, it’s essential to recognize that some bills demand immediate attention and timely action, while others allow for a more measured approach. This distinction doesn’t mean the latter are unimportant; their urgency differs. Every measure deserves continued monitoring and awareness to ensure no opportunity for meaningful engagement is missed.
Last week, Return America highlighted six key bills advanced by state legislators on the week of September 21, each of which many Christian patriots would regard as significant and urgent:
- HB 307 – Irnya’s Law
- HB 192 – Defund Planned Parenthood & Cost Transparency.
- HB 87 – Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA).
- HB 171 – Equality in State Agencies/Prohibition on DEI.
- SB 227 – Eliminating DEI in Public Education
- SB 558 – Eliminating “DEI” in Public Higher Ed
For a refresher on these measures and to see how they align with the convictions of Christian patriots who ground their political views in biblical truth – GO HERE.
This week, we will consider five more bills that NC lawmakers also dealt with during the same week. For many, these bills may not possess the same urgency as those previously mentioned; nonetheless, here they are. You be the judge.
HB 42 – Back the Blue Pay Act – honors the God-given task of government by fairly supporting the peacekeepers who protect life and order, strengthening the families they serve, and stewarding public resources wisely. It improves pay and benefits for North Carolina public-safety workers by setting higher experience-based salary steps for probation and parole officers and correctional officers (including youth counselors), raising pay for several state law-enforcement agencies and SBI staff, awarding $1,500 bonuses to state and local officers in each year of the biennium, providing recruitment and retention bonuses for the North Carolina National Guard, increasing pensions for firefighters, rescue-squad workers, and Guard members, and raising line-of-duty death benefits, while giving agencies flexibility to address pay compression.
The legislation, passed the Senate unanimously, was sent to the House and now resides in the House Rules Committee awaiting action.
HB 775-Criminal History Checks for School Positions – HB 775 is likely important to Bible-believing Christians because it squarely advances child protection and school integrity without expanding state control over private Christian schools. It tightens background checks for anyone with regular access to students, requires principals to report serious threats and assaults to law enforcement, strengthens how educator misconduct is reported to the State Board, and encourages a multistate license check so bad actors can’t hop districts. Those moves align with biblical duties to protect children and restrain evil (Matthew 18:6; Romans 13), support teachers’ safety, and rebuild parental trust in schools. It also guards due process and privacy (confidential records, clear liability limits), and aside from existing voucher-program safeguards, doesn’t impose new mandates on nonpublic schools, which many evangelicals value for religious freedom.
HB 775 passed the House and was sent to the Senate. It is currently awaiting action in the Senate Rules Committee.
SB 13 – Political Terrorism Prevention Act – makes punishments more challenging for crimes committed because of someone’s politics. If you target a person for their beliefs, party, speeches, or protests, your felony gets bumped up one level and you can’t get parole or early release; political targeting also counts as an extra-serious factor (even in death-penalty cases), DAs must notify the Attorney General (who can bring in a special prosecutor), victims or their families can speak in court. For Bible-believing Christians, this matters because it helps protect peaceful public witness – like pro-life advocacy or preaching – by discouraging violence meant to silence speech, which fits the biblical call for government to restrain evil and protect the innocent (Romans 13:1–4), honors human dignity (Genesis 1:27), supports a quiet and orderly society where the gospel can be shared (1 Timothy 2:1–2), and advances justice and peacemaking (Proverbs 31:8–9; Matthew 5:9).
The bill passed the House overwhelmingly and has been sent to the Senate. It currently resides in the Senate Rules Committee, awaiting action.
Senate Bill 153 – North Carolina Border Protection Act – This legislation aligns state and local agencies more closely with federal immigration enforcement by directing cooperation with ICE and lawful status checks, conditioning certain state-administered benefits on lawful presence where federal law permits, and penalizing cities, counties, and UNC institutions that adopt “sanctuary” limits on enforcement. Governor Josh Stein vetoed the bill, saying it would divert already-strained officers and that current law already restricts most benefits; supporters urge an override, arguing it ensures uniform compliance, protects taxpayer resources for lawful residents, and gives clear guidance to agencies. For conservative Christians, this measure is significant because it upholds the rule of law and the God-ordained role of civil authority (Romans 13), practices fiscal stewardship of public funds, advances public safety and ordered compassion, caring for the vulnerable without incentivizing lawlessness, and honors fairness toward legal immigrants who follow the process.
SB 153 has been placed on the Calendar for an override vote, starting in the House, on October 20, 2025.
SB 50 – Freedom to Carry NC (“Constitutional Carry”) – would allow law-abiding adults 18 and older to carry a concealed handgun without a permit (while keeping the permit system for reciprocity), increase death benefits for fallen officers and create a scholarship for their children, and stiffen penalties for crimes involving firearms against emergency and law-enforcement personnel. The most contentious piece, even among Christians, is allowing 18-year-olds to carry without training; opponents, including Governor Stein, argue this makes communities and officers less safe, while supporters say it restores the right of self-defense for responsible citizens and focuses harsher penalties on criminals. The Governor has vetoed the bill, and with some Republicans balking at the 18-year-old provision, an override will be difficult without unanimous GOP support.
SB 50 is currently in the House Rules Committee and is scheduled for an override vote on October 20, 2025.
In short, prudence and perseverance must guide us: some measures call for swift action, others for steady watchfulness, but all deserve faithful engagement. As we weigh these bills against Scripture and sound judgment, let’s pray for our leaders (James 1:5), study them (see the summaries above), and communicate respectfully with our Representatives as needed so that our voice is clear, our tone is gracious, and our convictions are unmistakable.
