I ran for the SC Senate in 2008 on a platform of effective leadership that listens to the people. One thing I heard in that campaign and in every campaign since is that law abiding citizens want their 2nd Amendment rights respected in South Carolina.
I have sponsored Constitutional Carry legislation for more than a decade, and every year members of both political parties resist or block its passage. This year, however, a majority of the Senate listened and acted. The Senate Judiciary Committee reported out my Senate bill on May 9th, and I successfully recalled the House version of the bill from the same committee that day.
I explained the Bill and its effects from the Senate podium. I spoke about misinformation that opponents have spread, and explained that this legislation is about nothing more and nothing less than our God-given Constitutional rights. I am proud and pleased that this legislation is finally on the Senate floor. We will not get to consider it this year, as the session ends too soon. But, we will take this up in January, and every senator will get to vote. I look forward to it and to the passage of this bill.
The Senate president recognizes someone other than the Senate Majority Leader only once or twice a year, but I yelled loud enough not to be ignored, and gained recognition for the motion.
Dear Senator Martin,
I am writing as a South Carolinian and a parent to urge you to consider the consequences of the “Constitutional carry” law. This law needs to be rejected for public safety. It is not what South Carolinians or South Carolina Law enforcement want.
Per Harvard School of Public Health:
…guns in the home are used more often to frighten intimates than to thwart crime; other weapons are far more commonly used against intruders than are guns.
Compared to other protective actions, the National Crime Victimization Surveys provide little evidence that self-defense gun use is uniquely beneficial in reducing the likelihood of injury or property loss.
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/hicrc/firearms-research/gun-threats-and-self-defense-gun-use-2/
Per Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the CDC:
Guns remained the leading cause of death for children and teens in 2022.
In the past decade (2013-2022), the gun death rate among children and teens has increased 87%. Both gun homicides and suicides fueled this increase.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/sites/default/files/2023-06/2023-june-cgvs-u-s-gun-violence-in-2021.pdf
According to CDC data, South Carolina is a violent state when it comes to guns. In fact, according to the CDC, South Carolina ranks ninth-worst among US states when it comes to the percentage of residents who were killed by gunfire in 2020, the latest annual numbers compiled by the agency.
South Carolina’s gun death numbers are among the country’s worst, especially if you’re Black | South Carolina Public Radio
Columbia Police Chief Skip Holbrook, president of the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Association, told senators he knows of no police chief in the state who supports permitless carry.
SC GOP senators advance permitless gun carry over objections of law enforcement | Palmetto Politics | postandcourier.com
Per Winthrop’s May 2023 poll:
Legislation requiring a completed background check before a buyer can take possession of a firearm even if the background check takes longer than 3 days to come back – what would close the “Charleston loophole” – is strongly supported in South Carolina. Seventy-five percent believe the sale of firearms should be restricted to those who are 21 years of age and older while 17% disagree. Republicans and Democrats are in general agreeance when it comes to the questions concerning gun policy and the sale of firearms addressed in this poll.
May 2023 Winthrop Poll Results – Abortion, Gun Policies and More | Winthrop University
This law does not make sense for South Carolina. It is dangerous for kids, police, and everyone else. South Carolinians don’t want this. Law enforcement does not want this.
I think that every person able to purchase a handgun legally should be able to , as for training and background checks they should pay for it themselves, When I took my conceled wepons permit class, I wanted to make sure I had the correct training and knowledge before I was allowed to carry my pistol, The finger printing and background checks aren’t that expensive and could help save someones life. I agree with you pertaining to criminals don’t have any respect for the laws, and they will carry their guns reguardless. keep up your good work and THANK YOU for serving in our GREAT STATE.