Constitutional carry has spread to more than half the states in the nation over recent years and South Carolina may be the next state to get bureaucrats out of the way of our freedom.
H.B. 3594, an NRA-supported “Constitutional Carry” bill, was debated on the South Carolina Senate floor last week, and is scheduled for further debate this week, with a vote expected to follow shortly after. It has already worked its way through the South Carolina House of Representatives, where it passed by a vote of 87 to 26.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has said that he will sign the bill into law should it reach his desk.
“Constitutional carry protects Americans’ right to carry a firearm for self-defense by eliminating the requirement that law-abiding gun owners obtain a permit to carry. The law does not affect previously issued permits and does not eliminate the permitting system,” wrote the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.
Some form of constitutional carry is in place in 27 states, and has been spreading rapidly. Just last year, Florida and Nebraska joined the ranks, and a year earlier, Alabama, Georgia, Indiana and Ohio did the same. In 2021, five states enacted some form of constitutional carry.
Constitutional carry protects Americans’ right to carry a firearm for self-defense by eliminating the requirement that law-abiding gun owners obtain a permit to carry. Those who wish to obtain a permit to carry in states that have reciprocity agreements with their state still can get a permit. In addition, this bill does not change who is permitted to obtain a firearm.
