(TargetLiberty.org) – On Wednesday in South Carolina, the GOP-led state passed the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act which would give residents the right to carry firearms, either concealed or not, without having to have any permit. The bill passed through the state House on Tuesday in a 86-33 vote, and the Senate on Wednesday in a 28-18 vote. It is now expected that Republican Gov. Henry McMaster is going to be signing the bill on Thursday.
On Tuesday the House and Senate reached a compromise on many of the bill’s provisions including relating to criminal penalties and those who would be exempt from any of the restrictions of the law. WCSC-TV reported that one of the Senate provisions that would have given state lawmakers the right to carry guns even in areas where the general public is not allowed to was removed. This exemption will now only be available to prosecutors and judges.
House leaders opted to adopt the bill’s Senate version while Senate negotiators pointed out that there is an option for bringing forward a separate bill at a later time which would allow violations to be removed after some time. This would be similar to the state’s treatment of traffic and drug offenses.
The Post & Courier reported that under this bill anyone over the age of 18 would be legally allowed to carry a firearm in public. Weapons would not need to be secured anymore while in vehicles, and openly carrying a gun in public will not constitute enough reason for law enforcement to suspect a citizen of wrongdoing.
Copyright 2024, TargetLiberty.org
