South Carolina lawmakers are inching closer to passing a bill that would allow anyone who legally owns a gun to carry it, even without a permit to do so.
The South Carolina House voted 86-33, mostly along party lines, to advance the bill. The Senate and House had previously passed permitless carry bills, but each chamber’s version was different. They came to an agreement on Tuesday.
“The dialogue we’ve been having with the Senate, the House, and the governor’s office is that they want this to immediately become law,” Republican Rep. Bobby Cox, the bill’s sponsor, said.
Under the agreed bill, guns would still be banned in places such as schools, courthouses, and the state Capitol building. It also increases penalties for people who carry guns illegally, such as felons.
In the negotiations, the bill adopted most of the Senate’s changes. These included free training offered twice a month in every South Carolina county and higher penalties for those who do not have a permit yet bring a gun where they are prohibited.
The negotiation committee got rid of a House provision that would have unintentionally allowed local school boards to override the ban on guns on school property. They also did not include a Senate provision that would have allowed lawmakers to carry guns in places where the public cannot.
“We’re not special. We’re servant leaders, and what’s good for our constituents is good for us,” Cox said.
Some Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that the new law could do more harm than good with regard to South Carolina’s youth.
“This bill allows 18-year-olds to walk around with a gun on their hip as if they are a cowboy,” Democratic Rep. Seth Rose said.
Others argued that the bill was made by pressure from outside groups, such as Palmetto Gun Rights and the National Association for Gun Rights, which had been putting pressure on South Carolina lawmakers to introduce the legislation.
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“We have caved to the boogeyman from Texas,” Republican Sen. Luke Rankin said.
If passed, South Carolina would be the 29th state with permitless carry. Gov. Henry McMaster (R-SC) said he plans to sign the bill into law.
