March 6, 2024
Columbia, SC – Permitless carry, House Bill 3594 has just been passed by the South Carolina Senate by a margin of 28 to 18. It now heads to the Governor’s desk where upon his signing, will make South Carolina the 29th Constitutional Carry state, the last Republican held state to do so.
“It’s been a long hard road to get this passed in South Carolina and with super-majorities of Republicans in both chambers that shouldn’t have been the case.” said Tommy Dimsdale, Executive Director of Palmetto Gun Rights, the state affiliate of the National Association for Gun Rights. “However, this does speak towards the tenacity and resilience of gun owners who stood resolute to never be placated or ignored over this issue. This win belongs to the members of PGR, gun owners across the state, and anyone who took the time to call, email, text, or speak with their lawmaker.”
After being bounced back and forth between the House and Senate a few times, lawmakers settled the differences between the bills in Conference Committee this past Tuesday. Almost all of the controversial amendments tacked on by the Senate remained except for a measure that would have linked your CWP to your driver’s license, and another measure that would have given state lawmakers free license to carry anywhere. This license is called Permitless carry. The Conference Committee agreed the latter amendment presented a “bad look”.
The National Association for Gun Rights President, Dudley Brown, aired his opposition to a measure that still remained, Senator Shane Massey’s Amendment 36. “Amendment 36 is a direct affront to the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the ‘Equal Protections’ clause in that it enshrines in law different penalties for crimes committed by CWP holders versus those who don’t have a CWP,” said Dudley Brown president of the National Association for Gun Rights.
Representatives from the National Association for Gun Rights and Palmetto Gun Rights both vowed to return and clean up the messier parts of the bill that still cause gun owners angst. Both groups strongly urge Governor McMaster to sign Constitutional Carry bill H. 3594 into law as soon as possible.