In a move that has been nearly a decade in the making, South Carolina has officially embraced the open carry of firearms without a permit. On Thursday, Governor Henry McMaster put pen to paper, signing into law a bill that allows any adult legally eligible to own a gun to carry one openly across the state. The signing ceremony, attended by at least a dozen lawmakers, marked a significant victory for gun rights advocates in the Palmetto State.The push for open carry legislation has been met with resistance over the years, with one of the primary roadblocks being the issue of training. However, a Senate proposal to allocate millions of dollars for free gun training programs across the state, aimed at enabling residents to obtain concealed carry permits, paved the way for the new laws passage.In addition to legalizing open carry, the law also introduces stiffer penalties for individuals who repeatedly carry firearms in prohibited areas, such as schools or courthouses, or commit crimes while armed, regardless of whether the weapon is used or not. These penalties can be further enhanced if the offender lacks a concealed carry permit.South Carolina now joins 28 other states that allow open carry without a permit, including nearly every state in the Deep South region.For Governor McMaster, the increased penalties for criminals possessing guns unlawfully and those who use weapons illegally was the most significant aspect of the new law. Now law enforcement, prosecutors and judges can keep career violent criminals behind bars where they belong where they can no longer hurt innocent South Carolinians, McMaster stated after the Senate approved the compromise on Wednesday, following the Houses approval on Tuesday.Gun rights advocates had exerted significant pressure on senators to eliminate additional penalties for those without concealed carry permits, arguing for true open carry without any incentive to obtain a permit and expressing concerns about potential harassment of legal gun carriers.However, Sen. Rex Rice defended the bill, stating, It gives law-abiding citizens the right to carry a gun with or without permit. And it also puts the bad guys in jail if they are carrying guns and shouldnt.Some law enforcement leaders have expressed lukewarm or opposing views, citing concerns about officers encountering armed individuals at shooting scenes and having to make split-second assessments about potential threats, as well as the lack of required training for public gun carrying.Others have voiced apprehensions about the possibility of high school seniors carrying guns in their cars just off campus, leading to arguments escalating into shootings or road rage incidents turning violent.Sen. Josh Kimbrell, however, maintains that such actions would remain illegal, and responsible gun owners should not be penalized for exercising their Second Amendment rights. If youre going to pull out a pistol in public and point it at someone because you are pissed off that they took your parking space. were not allowing that, Kimbrell, a Republican from Spartanburg, stated.As South Carolina embraces open carry, the debate over gun rights and public safety continues, with proponents and opponents alike weighing in on the implications of this significant legislative change.
