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Senate Expands "Castle Doctrine" on Deadly Force

A Senate bill saying residents would be presumed to have properly used deadly force in the case of a home, car or workplace invasion has tentatively passed the state Senate. State law currently only deals with home invasions. Democratic Senator Dan Blue of Raleigh voted against the measure, because it expands the definition of a home and a workplace to include tents. Blue says a number of homeless people live in tents they erect in downtown Raleigh.

"It frightens me somewhat to extend that same privilege to everybody, and especially some people in that setting. That you can now kill somebody because they enter your tent, and you're just in that place temporarily because that's where you wanted to put your tent down."

The National Rifle Association has lobbied across the country to encourage lawmakers to expand what's known as the "castle doctrine."

Jessica Jones covers both the legislature in Raleigh and politics across the state. Before her current assignment, Jessica was given the responsibility to open up WUNC's first Greensboro Bureau at the Triad Stage in 2009. She's a seasoned public radio reporter who's covered everything from education to immigration, and she's a regular contributor to NPR's news programs. Jessica started her career in journalism in Egypt, where she freelanced for international print and radio outlets. After stints in Washington, D.C. with Voice of America and NPR, Jessica joined the staff of WUNC in 1999. She is a graduate of Yale University.
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