Building on the success of recent years, another state is approaching the passage of constitutional carry, which would mean that over half of the states in our country would have some form of constitutional carry.
The South Carolina House recently voted 87-26 to pass H.B. 3594, the state’s constitutional-carry legislation. The bill “recognizes the right of law-abiding adults to carry a firearm for self-defense without having to first pay fees or obtain government permission, while also increasing penalties for criminals caught with firearms,” as reported by the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (ILA).
H.B. 3594 also “does not change who is eligible to obtain a carry permit. It also does not affect previously issued permits and allows citizens who still wish to obtain a permit in order to carry in other states recognizing South Carolina’s permits, to do so.”
The bill now goes to the South Carolina Senate for further consideration.
Should this bill pass the state’s senate and receive South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s (R) signature, South Carolina would become the 26th state in the nation to have enacted some form of constitutional carry, an incredible landmark.
Last year, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio joined the ranks, while in 2021 Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Texas and Utah did so. Perhaps even more incredible is the fact that just a few short decades ago, only one state, Vermont, had what is today called constitutional (or “permitless”) carry.
We’ll keep you updated on the status of this bill and similar efforts in other states.
