S.C. Representative Jonathon Hill took to Facebook yesterday explaining how Senate Bill S-293, filed by S.C. Senator Richard Cash, was held up by the S.C. General Assembly this week.
Senate Bill S-293 was written: TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 23-31-232 SO AS TO PROVIDE A CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT HOLDER MAY CARRY A CONCEALABLE WEAPON ON SCHOOL PROPERTY LEASED BY A CHURCH FOR CHURCH SERVICES OR OFFICIAL CHURCH ACTIVITIES IF THE CHURCH OR ITS GOVERNING BODY PROVIDES EXPRESS PERMISSION TO THE PERMIT HOLDER, AND TO PROVIDE THAT THIS SECTION ONLY APPLIES DURING THE TIME THAT THE CHURCH HAS ACCESS TO THE PROPERTY FOR ITS SERVICES OR ACTIVITIES.
With Covid 19, however, a more limited number of churches are now meeting on school grounds this Fall. In fact, many schools are encouraging their own students to participate in online learning.
Greenville S.C. Representative Bobby J. Cox was explaining the bill, when Representative Hill added the Constitutional Carry amendment to it.
South Carolina House Majority Leader, Gary Simrill, noting the addition by Hill then tabled S-293, moving on to the next item. This effectively “killed” the bill.
In his Facebook post, Hill stated that Majority Leader Simrill does not want a vote on Constitutional Carry.
MyrtleBeachSC News reports ongoing that this has been consistent among the leadership of the General Assembly.
Leading State Senators and Representatives including Rep. Gary Simrill, Rep. Jay Lucas, Senator Luke Rankin, and Senator Hugh Leatherman have worked to see that no public votes are taken on Constitutional Carry.
The Senate version of Constitutional Carry, titled S-139, reads:
TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ENACTING THE “SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY ACT OF 2017”, TO AMEND SECTION 16-23-20 RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF A FIREARM, TO AFFIRMATIVELY ASSERT THAT IT IS LEGAL TO CARRY A HANDGUN IN THIS STATE, UNLESS OTHERWISE PROHIBITED, WITH LOCATION EXCEPTIONS WHERE FIREARMS ARE PROHIBITED; TO AMEND SECTION 16-23-50(A)(2) TO PROVIDE THAT A PERSON WHO ENTERS A PREMISES WITH A SIGN PROHIBITING FIREARMS WHILE POSSESSING A FIREARM MUST BE CHARGED WITH TRESPASSING; TO AMEND SECTIONS 16-23-420 AND 16-23-430, BOTH RELATING TO THE POSSESSION OF A FIREARM ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, SO AS TO DELETE REFERENCES TO CONCEALED WEAPON PERMITS, TO DELETE THE TERM “WEAPON” AND REPLACE IT WITH THE TERM “FIREARM”, AND TO PROVIDE THAT BOTH SECTIONS DO NOT APPLY TO A PERSON WHO LAWFULLY IS CARRYING A WEAPON SECURED IN A MOTOR VEHICLE; TO DELETE SECTION 16-23-460 RELATED TO THE UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF A CONCEALED WEAPON; TO AMEND SECTION 16-23-465, RELATING TO PENALTIES FOR UNLAWFULLY CARRYING A FIREARM ONTO THE PREMISES OF A BUSINESS SELLING ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR, BEER, OR WINE FOR CONSUMPTION ON THE PREMISES, TO DELETE A REFERENCE TO A PERSON CARRYING A CONCEALABLE WEAPON PURSUANT TO ARTICLE 4, CHAPTER 31, TITLE 23, TO PROVIDE THAT THIS SECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A PERSON LAWFULLY CARRYING A WEAPON WHO DOES NOT CONSUME ALCOHOLIC LIQUOR, BEER, OR WINE WHILE CARRYING A WEAPON ON THE BUSINESS PREMISES AND TO REMOVE A REFERENCE TO “CONCEALABLE WEAPON” AND REPLACE IT WITH “WEAPON”; TO AMEND SECTION 23-31-215, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF A CONCEALED WEAPON PERMIT, TO DELETE THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES A PERMIT HOLDER TO POSSESS HIS PERMIT IDENTIFICATION WHEN CARRYING A CONCEALABLE WEAPON, THE PROVISION THAT REQUIRES A PERMIT HOLDER TO INFORM A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THAT HE IS A PERMIT HOLDER AND PRESENT THE PERMIT TO THE OFFICER UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES; TO AMEND SECTIONS 23-31-220, RELATING TO A PROPERTY OWNER’S RIGHT TO ALLOW A HOLDER OF A CONCEALED WEAPONS PERMIT TO CARRY A WEAPON ONTO HIS PROPERTY, SO AS TO MAKE TECHNICAL CHANGES, TO PROVIDE THAT THIS PROVISION REGULATES BOTH PERSONS WHO POSSESS AND DO NOT POSSESS A CONCEALABLE WEAPONS PERMIT; TO DELETE SECTIONS 23-31-225 AND 23-31-230 RELATING TO THE UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF A CONCEALED WEAPON INTO A RESIDENCE AND THE CARRYING OF A WEAPON BETWEEN AN AUTOMOBILE AND AN ACCOMMODATION; TO AMEND SECTION 23-31-235 RELATING TO THE POSTING OF SIGNS PROHIBITING “CONCEALED WEAPONS” AND REPLACE IT WITH THE CONFORMING LANGUAGE OF “WEAPONS”; AND BY AMENDING SECTION 10-11-320 RELATED TO THE TRESPASSES AND OFFENSES OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS ON CAPITOL GROUNDS, TO DELETE THE TERM “CONCEALABLE WEAPONS’ PERMIT” AND REPLACE WITH THE TERM “FIREARM”.
For this legislative session, S.C. Bill S-293 died on the legislative floor.