By Laura Haight
Despite the growing demand for sensible gun regulations from both Republicans and Democrats, gun owners and NRA members, South Carolina legislators continue to promote dangerously lenient bills like SB 449. This bill would make it legal for anyone to carry a concealed weapon in public without ever taking a training class, without passing any background check, without a vision check, and without what is currently a mandatory criminal history check. #WhyIsThat.
97 percent of US voters support background checks on all gun sales (including 97 percent of gun owners, and 97 percent of Republicans)
– Quinnipiac National Polling, Feb. 20, 2018
67 percent of voters say it is too easy to buy a gun in the U.S. today
– Quinnipiac National Polling, Feb. 20, 2018
South Carolina has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the country
– The Washington Post, updated Feb. 20, 2018
In the SC Statehouse, 50 bills related to gun laws – both more lenient and more restrictive – have been filed since 2017. None of passed. In the previous two-year session, 68 gun bills were filed; 3 passed.
– The Greenville News, Feb. 23, 2018
76 percent of South Carolina voters oppose permitless carry – the right to carry a concealed handgun in public with neither a permit nor any safety training requirement.
– US Marketing Research, conducted Feb 19-20, 2018
Since Arizona enacted its permitless carry bill, the number of gun-related aggravated assaults increased 44 percent.
– Arizona Department of Public Safety
Missouri became a permitless carry state in 2017. The city of St. Louis alone recorded a 23 percent increase in aggravated assaults with a gun in 2017 over 2016. That’s a 484 more gun assaults.
– St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Permitless carry legislation has already been approved in the South Carolina house and a Senate bill SB 449 is awaiting action. Two of the more egregious changes: SC requires 20/40 vision in order to obtain a gun permit. These requirements would be eliminated, making it possible for a significantly vision impaired individual to carry a handgun in public. Criminals are also currently prohibited from carrying a handgun. A criminal history check would no longer be required with permitless carry.
– Moms Demand Action
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