Politics & Government

Crowd Flocks to Gun Bill Hearing

Dozens of people packed North Charleston City Hall to voice their support for a state bill that would allow the open carrying of firearms.

Supporters of a bill to allow the open carrying of firearms throughout the Palmetto State showed up in force Monday night at North Charleston City Hall.     

The first of four hearings around the state on the bill held by Sen. Sean Bennett, R-Summerville; Greg Hembree, R-North Myrtle Beach; Shane Martin, R-Orangeburg and Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg; was held in North Charleston.

Additional hearings on the bill are scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday March 4 at York Technical College in Rock Hill, 7 p.m. Monday, March 11 at Greenville County Council Chambers in Greenville and 7 p.m. Monday March 18 at the Ted C. Collins Law Enforcement Center in Myrtle Beach.

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Nearly everyone in attendance who spoke was in favor of passing the bill. The only level of opposition came from law enforcement officers.

Charleston Police Chief Greg Mullen said while he supports citizens' Second Amendment right to carry firearms, portions of the new bill concern him. Namely he is concerned about provisions that allow people without criminal intent to carry guns essentially anywhere in the state, saying in the field it is difficult for police officers to be able to determine intent.

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He said he was also concerned that it would be an open invitation for criminals who have managed to avoid any felony convictions (or convictions on misdemeanors that carry a prohibition of future firearms ownership) to openly carry weapons on city streets.

Mullen received little support from the crowd however, who countered that the current law allowing concealed carry doesn't do anything to prevent those same people from purchasing weapons or carrying them concealed.

"If they have managed to avoid a felony conviction like the chief said they will already be able to pass this SLED background check," one person said following the Chief's remarks.

Several speakers said they believed under the U.S. Constitution every citizen should already be allowed to openly carry a firearm, and that any registration or licensing requirement is unconstitutional.

Others conceded that requiring gun owners take a class like the concealed carry classes or in some other way prove proficiency with their weapon is a good thing despite how onerous such a requirement can be on some gun owners.

"I have a concealed carry permit," one man told the panel. "I hate the concealed carry permit, I hate that every four years I have to renew it, but I can tell you in my concealed carry class at least half of the people I was in class with didn't even know where to put their finger on the trigger, so it does serve a purpose."

Several speakers, including more than one former law enforcement officer, noted that when a person is threatened and needs a gun to protect himself or herself they don't have time to wait for a police response.

"Like one person said when seconds count the police are only minutes away," a former North Charleston police officer said. "There's an old saying, I carry a gun because a police officer is too heavy."


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