Status Of Open Carry In South Carolina
BY Herschel Smith
4 years, 8 months ago
“We’re at a standstill both with gun reform and gun expansion,” Charleston Democratic Sen. Marlon Kimpson said this week. “I don’t think you’ll see any of those bills come to the floor this year and, if they do, it will be purely for political posturing.”
Senate Bill 139, which would allow anyone to carry a weapon without a permit, is on the Senate calendar for second reading, but falls further behind every day on the chamber’s contested slate. Carrying weapons without a permit is known by supporters as “constitutional carry.”
But most bills on either side of the issue remain without hearings in committees. Kimpson is a sponsor of Senate Bill 731, which would expand background checks, also known as closing the Charleston loophole. The bill has been pushed every year since a white supremacist slayed nine black church goers in Charleston in 2015. It would extend the wait time for FBI background checks from three days to five days in South Carolina. It is stuck without a hearing in the Judiciary Committee.
A guy by the name of Peter Zalka is at the root of trouble-making on this. Listen to his reasons, and make sure to notice the headline (“Pro-Second Amendment Group Concerned Over ‘Open Carry’ Bills).
“Passage of this bill will allow anyone to openly carry a revolver or semi-automatic handgun in any public establishment such as a grocery store, movie theater, or Walmart. Spending legislative time and effort to pass any laws that would make legal the open carry of handguns (with or without a permit) makes South Carolina no safer at best, with significant negative effects on our communities a given.”
Zalka called the proposed legislation a threat to public safety and public health.
“The world would look like a different place,” he said. “Imagine being in Charleston at a park or Spoleto, something like that, and all around us there are folks wearing their guns on their hip. They have no training, no permit, no understanding of South Carolina laws.”
Zalka said he spent the day hand-delivering letters of opposition to lawmakers, including letters from physicians, law enforcement, and other nonprofit organizations.
[ … ]
Groups like South Carolina Carry feel the opposition is simply fearmongering.
“We are surrounded by open carry states. North Carolina has open carry, Georgia has open carry, Tennessee has open carry,” said Dan Roberts, Outreach Director for South Carolina Carry. “They all have vibrant tourism industries and no problem with people being terrified at the sight of a firearm. So, is South Carolina somehow special? It’s ridiculous.”
He had a moment of truth there. This is all about the effete gentry class in Charleston wanting to make sure their tourism isn’t affected.
But the truth is also told by South Carolina Carry. ““We are surrounded by open carry states. North Carolina has open carry, Georgia has open carry, Tennessee has open carry,” said Dan Roberts, Outreach Director for South Carolina Carry. “They all have vibrant tourism industries and no problem with people being terrified at the sight of a firearm.”
There won’t be blood running in the streets, and that lie was told in Texas, Oklahoma and everywhere open carry has been legalized. It’s been debunked, so let that one go, controllers.
So if you’re a South Carolina reader, have you joined South Carolina Carry? Are you active in this fight? The enemy sure is. Because if you’re not active, you have no right to complain when you’re compared to California, Hawaii and New York.
On March 5, 2020 at 12:36 am, Paul Scales said:
Keep open carrying, it keeps the zombies from moving to your area. Once they move in their dollars will take over your area.
On March 5, 2020 at 9:04 am, Thomas Madere said:
Louisiana is an open carry state, always has been. I rarely see anyone open carrying. In my 75 years I would say I have seen less than a dozen persons open carrying in public. It is a non issue here.
On March 5, 2020 at 9:53 am, Fred said:
Mr. Madere,
By law, under what circumstances must you have a carry permit? Are y’all working on permitless carry or constitutional carry?
On March 5, 2020 at 10:38 am, Fred said:
So, apparently, the so called Constitutional Carry bill in TN isn’t that at all, in fact, it’s not even permit-less carry. It’s just garbage that does NOT “expand rights” at all.
Total political manure from the NRA!!!!! It actually RESTRICTS RIGHTS as expected.
NRA, YOU ARE THROUGH!!! I will tell everybody for the rest of my life about your treachery.
On March 5, 2020 at 10:59 am, Fred said:
Sorry for multiple posts.
Trey Ramsey “NRA-ILA Senior Grassroots Field Coordinator” lied to me personally about the TN Constitutional Carry bill.
That’s TREY RAMSEY!!! NRA Liar, and traitor to the Republic.
On March 5, 2020 at 12:15 pm, X said:
OT:
HOLY SHIT!!!! CUOMO GIVEN EMERGENCY POWERS TO UNILATERALLY SUSPEND ANY STATE LAW!!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE!!!
https://nypost.com/2020/03/03/cuomo-wins-bid-to-expand-emergency-powers-for-coronavirus/?utm_campaign=iosapp&utm_source=pasteboard_app
On March 5, 2020 at 2:33 pm, Geoff said:
I sometimes shop in NC because I can open carry there. And the sales tax is lower. I live only a few miles from the NC border and go to Whiteville to shop for big ticket items. It’s only a few extra miles than going to Conway or North Myrtle Beach.
On March 5, 2020 at 8:36 pm, John Deaux said:
Fred, open carry in La does not require any kind of permit, also the state has authority to pass laws so in very few exceptions local governments can not pass restrictions. We usually have a bill in legislature to go ” constitutional carry ” but unfortunately there’s too much money involved for the powers that be to give up with total permit free concealed carry. Maybe one day.
On March 7, 2020 at 12:04 pm, Fred said:
Back in TN, the legislature has introduced a “Confused Carry” bill that is both potentially dangerous for law abiding Gun Owners and for Police.
My letter to House and Senate Leadership. (I also called several leaders.):
Please fix this bill so that it is true Constitutional Carry or at least “Permitless Carry.”
I’m writing in support of Constitutional Carry however, the current bill is confusing and will likely cause more problems than anything else. As a law abiding Gun Owner and Carry Permit Holder, I would not want to carry a firearm without my permit under the current bill. Under the current bill I wouldn’t know if I were breaking the law or causing more problems for police in my area or not. I want to follow the law but the current bill is not workable. It is my intent to keep my permit current either way.
I strongly suggest looking for model legislation from the Tennessee Firearms Association. Also, Kentucky and Oklahoma passed very clear and clean legislation for so called Permitless Carry. You could look to those examples perhaps, for some guidance.
This is a very important change and should not be undertaken without very close examination of, not only the first order effects of the law, but also please consider potential second and third order affects. The current bill would be a nightmare for police to enforce, and it would leave law abiding citizens not knowing if they are carrying a weapon lawfully or not.
Governor Lee expressed his desire to “Expand Rights” for law abiding Tennesseans while adding stiffer penalties for criminals. The current bill does not expand rights. Please adhere to the spirit of the intent which is to “trust Tennesseans” and expand rights. Please fix this bill so that it is true Constitutional Carry, and if that is unworkable for this year’s legislative session, then please pass a clean Permitless Carry bill.
A clean Permitless Carry bill would be a great step to expanding the rights of law abiding Tennesseans by trusting us with our own safety and the safety of our families while respecting the law and law enforcement agencies.
[You can also see “Some Legislators are responding positively to concerns from TFA members about Lee’s “permitless carry” bill.” at the TFA web page under News – Post Archive.
On March 9, 2020 at 11:40 am, Danny said:
@Geoff, sounds like you live in SC. I humbly suggest you did as I and join your local zone for SC Carry and get involved. I finally decided to come out of the digital shadows as I wanted to be able to look my children and grandchildren in the eye, proudly telling them what I did when the tyrants came.
I challenge all God fearing men who visit this website to get involved beyond keyboard pounding (He knows I have done my share) joining a d more importantly becoming active in organizations like SC Carry and/or Personhood.com