COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolinians could soon openly carry a handgun with a permit under a proposal passed Wednesday by the state House.
The House passed the legislation in a 82-33 vote, after attaching new requirements that outline where a trained gun owner could carry in the Palmetto State and blocking an attempt to expand the proposal even further by removing the permit requirement entirely.
The proposal, whose chief sponsor is GOP state Rep. Bobby Cox of Greenville, calls for allowing trained gun owners who hold a permit to carry their firearms out in the open but only in public and in businesses where allowed. That means, for example, a legal gun owner could not carry on State House grounds or inside a school where guns are forbidden. They also could not carry inside businesses that have clear gun restrictions outlined in a sign on the premises.
An amendment added to the bill Wednesday also would allow local municipalities to ban open carry at certain permitted events like parades, festivals and carnivals.
The state Senate will get the legislation after the House gives it a perfunctory third reading Thursday, though how fast it will move through the upper chamber entirely depends on the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, state Sen. Luke Rankin, a Horry Republican, who told The State the bill is likelier to get a hearing next year before the two-year session ends.
Republicans argue that the bill is essential to allow people to protect themselves in public with a firearm. They add that 45 states already allow for open carry.
“This legislation is really a critical step, if you look at it, to bringing South Carolina in line with our neighboring states,” Cox said.
A concealed weapon doesn’t comfortably work with certain outfits, said Republican state Rep. Philip Lowe, of Florence. For example, a woman wearing a dress may not have a way to conceal a weapon and a man wearing a jacket may have to wear it all day if it’s the only thing concealing his weapon.
“I urge you to think through this and allow citizens the protection they want,” Lowe said.
On the floor, Democrats argued that the bill could lead to more violence, echoing similar concerns voiced by law enforcement.
State Rep. Seth Rose, a Richland Democrat, said studies show that people tend to be more aggressive when a gun is openly brandished.
“Why knowing those facts would we pass a bill that would make law enforcement’s job more difficult?” Rose asked.
Democrats jabbed at Republicans, who typically back police officers, for supporting the bill despite law enforcement’s opposition.
“There’s a reason that law enforcement doesn’t support the bill,” Democratic state Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter said.
Rose also pointed to groups who carry guns openly for malevolent reasons. For example, he said, many extremist groups often openly carry guns for the purpose of intimidation.
“This bill, the open carry legislation, it’s not expanding who can lawfully possess a gun. We’re talking about the display,” Rose said. “Why would someone want to openly display a firearm? Could it possibly be for intimidation purposes?”
Other lawmakers pointed out that Black people openly carrying may be racially profiled and targeted unfairly by law enforcement. State Rep. Wendy Brawley, a Richland Democrat, pointed out that Black men and women are frequently killed by police officers and later found to not be in the possession of any weapons.
“We are saying open season,” Brawley said. “And guess who the hunted is. It’s not right.”
“How do we justify having firearms visible for everyone in this state qualified to have one when we’re already killing people without them?” she added.
Brawley added that the bill does not require people to openly display their concealed weapons permit to openly carry a firearm, so police will have no idea if someone carrying a firearm has gone through the correct training. Black people will likely get stopped more than whites, she added.
“What will it take for us to understand that implicit bias is real and it’s very much running rampant in this amendment and in this bill,” Brawley said.
Democratic state Reps. Leon Howard, of Richland, and John King, of York, said they heard from young adults in the Black community who urged them to vote in favor of the bill so they could openly carry firearms in order to protect themselves, too. King pointed out that during the heyday of the Black Panthers, openly carrying guns was a hallmark of the movement.
“These young people today, they’re not of the same ilk as we were. They’re tired,” Brawley said. “At some point, we’re going to have to recognize this. The people who you’re trying to protect just might be you.”
Cobb-Hunter criticized how quickly Republicans have moved to pass the bill. House members spent one day debating the bill on the House floor.
“I have been troubled by this rush to adopt this agenda,” Cobb-Hunter said. “I am so afraid that this is going to lead to more violence and more deaths.”
Republican state Rep. Johnathon Hill, of Anderson, tried to attach an amendment to the open carry bill that would remove the permitting requirement and allow all gun owners to carry weapons openly, with the exceptions for places that explicitly do not allow firearms.
“I have had an outpouring of support from my constituents and I have heard from thousands across the state who want this done,” Hill said.
Republicans asked Hill to withdraw his amendment, seen as a bridge too far that could doom the bill. Also, the House Judiciary Committee advanced a similar constitutional carry bill Tuesday night.
“Constitutional carry, in my opinion, is far too important to be added on as an eleventh-hour addition,” Cox, the bills sponsor, said.
The amendment was voted down 79-33.
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