SC Senate will debate open carry gun bill next week with 6 days left on the calendar
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 6 months ago
So we discussed the awful Luke Rankin, head of the South Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee, and how the committee managed to stall open carry just long enough that it wouldn’t be heard this year.
But there is news from S.C.
A state Senate often resistant to loosening South Carolina’s gun regulations could next week pass legislation that would further expand those rules by allowing legal gun owners to carry their weapon out in the open.
In a 3-2 vote down party lines Thursday morning, a Senate Judiciary Committee panel advanced a House-sponsored bill — H. 3904 — that would still restrict where someone could carry their gun, but allow permitted gun owners with the required training to carry their gun out in the open in the public if they so choose.
But hours later, and minutes before the Senate adjourned for the week, Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey successfully pulled the bill out of the Senate Judiciary Committee, placing the bill on the chamber’s priority list when senators return Tuesday.
The Legislature only has six days left on its regular work calendar, and Republicans have called for the measure to be a priority before the legislative session ends.
“That’s the only way we’re going to have an opportunity to have a full debate on it before the session ends is to do that,” said Massey, who chairs the Senate Rules Committee. “There’s significant interest among our caucus to try to move forward with it, so we made it an issue that we want to try and address this year.”
So after the “panel” heard it (a subcommittee of the full committee, no, I’m not making this up) and then sent it on to the full committee, who doubtless would have further stalled it, Shane Massey apparently got sick of it and pulled the bill from the committee.
There must be some thick, heavy politics going on in South Carolina.
From here we hope this gets a vote. The real name taking and vote counting starts. Every word will be recorded, every vote tallied, and the record permanent.
Take care what you do, gentlemen. We’re watching you.
On May 4, 2021 at 2:46 pm, Geoff said:
I started shopping in North Carolina where Open Carry is legal with NO PERMIT for taxable goods. The Sales Tax is lower and I live close enough to the Border that it just makes sense. I still buy food in SC as NC Counties still charge a 2% food tax. SC only charges it on prepared and ready to eat foods. Like fried chicken at the deli.
Lots of NC residents come to North Myrtle Beach or Border towns to buy groceries because there is no food tax in SC.