(Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/NJ Monitor)
North Carolina House Democrats used a National Gun Violence Awareness Day event on Tuesday to preview an upcoming legislative push for safety protections for rideshare drivers following the 2025 killing of a Durham Uber driver.
The proposal, announced by Rep. Zach Hawkins (D-Durham), will not be formally introduced until the General Assembly begins its new session in January 2027. Democrats also used the event to renew calls for broader gun safety legislation, including “red flag” laws and firearm storage laws.
As envisioned, the legislation would require rideshare companies to report incidents of assault, robbery and carjacking. Hawkins said he will also consider mandating stricter passenger verification systems, emergency alert tools for drivers, and state incentives for installing in-vehicle cameras.
“No one should have to risk their life simply for going to work,” said Hawkins.
He said that he intends to work alongside law enforcement, transportation officials, and rideshare companies to refine the proposal before January.
Emmanuel Kwame Gbedee Sr., a 57-year-old Durham husband and father of four, was shot and killed while working as an Uber driver last year.
Imani Maatuka, lead counsel for Gbedee’s estate, read a statement on behalf of the family demanding corporate accountability.
“We are calling on lawmakers to strengthen protections for rideshare drivers,” the statement read, adding that technology companies must be held responsible for the safety of the workers on their platforms.
The family is currently suing the company, claiming they did not do enough to protect him.
NC Newsline has reached out to Uber for comment. Uber did not immediately respond.
Other lawmakers used the event to renew calls for broader gun safety legislation that has stalled under the Republican-led legislature.
Rep. Marcia Morey (D-Durham) again urged lawmakers to adopt a so-called “red flag” law. The proposal would allow courts to temporarily remove firearms from people found to pose a danger to themselves or others.
Morey has advocated for similar laws for years, but her proposals have never been granted a hearing. Meantime, she noted that 22 states and the District of Columbia have enacted similar measures.
“We can do better. We must do better,” Morey said.
Gun rights advocates who oppose red flag laws say they allow a court to deprive a gun owner of their Second Amendment rights without due process until a hearing can be scheduled to allow them to contest the order. However, researchers at Columbia University found that Florida’s red flag law was associated with an 11% drop in firearm homicides.
Two NC children die from firearms each week. State agency wants consistent funding to combat that.
Rep. Tracy Clark (D-Guilford) pointed to the recent death of 8-year-old Gabriel Sanchez in Rockingham County due to an unsecured firearm as another reason lawmakers should pass proposals aimed at encouraging firearm safety storage. Clark said a bill filed last session to create a sales tax exemption for gun safes and locks failed to advance in the Republican-led legislature. “Such a basic incentive to encourage safe storage, yet sadly it did not move,” she said.
Tuesday’s event came as Gov. Josh Stein proclaimed June 1-7 as North Carolina’s fourth annual NC S.A.F.E. Week of Action, a campaign that promotes secure firearm storage.
“An unlocked gun is a tragedy waiting to happen, and too often, it does,” Stein said in a released statement.
According to the CDC and the North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force, guns are the leading cause of death for children in North Carolina. In 2024, 92 children died from firearm-related injuries and another 525 required emergency room visits. State data also shows that nearly 11,000 firearms were reported stolen statewide between 2019 and 2024.
The NC S.A.F.E. initiative, led by the state Department of Public Safety, has distributed more than 175,000 gun locks since it launched in 2023.
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