It was a busy week for constitutional carry. On March 5th, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed Constitutional Carry Bill SB 1 making the state the 28th to implement permitless carry. The law goes into effect on July 4th, 2024. Then on March 7th, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster signed House Bill 3594 making the state the 29th to implement permitless carry. The law took effect immediately upon signing.
For those keeping score at home, that’s 13 new permitless carry states since the Biden-Harris administration took office. The trend across the majority of the country is clearly towards less firearms restrictions instead of more.
In Louisiana, individuals 18 and over who have not been convicted of a felony may now carry a handgun without government permission. South Carolina also allows individuals 18 and over who are not otherwise prohibited to carry a handgun without government permission. South Carolina is already an open carry state, meaning eligible residents can openly carry without a permit. Both states still allow those who want to get a concealed carry permit to get one.
The South Carolina law bans firearms in certain locations, such as schools, courthouses, and polling places on election days. It also increases penalties against those who are barred from carrying a firearm, such as convicted felons, if they are found with a gun, and establishes penalties against those who repeatedly carry a firearm in restricted areas.
South Carolina also included a provision in the new law for optional, free training offered twice a month in every county. Imagine that. Not only does the state NOT require fees for the application costs, the permit itself, and state mandated training, but they are offering FREE firearm training to those who want it.
But let us not forget the usual suspects in opposition.
As has been the case in every state to remove the requirement for concealed carry licensing, the opposition came from extreme fringe gun-control groups who refer to constitutional carry as ‘criminal carry’ as well as the left leaning larger law enforcement agencies and organizations run by appointed ‘politicians-with-badges’ who do not want to lose local licensing control and fees.
It is important to note the ability to conceal carry without a permit in every state is for people who can legally purchase a firearm and are not otherwise prohibited. It has NEVER authorized criminals, drug addicts and others who would be prevented from purchasing a firearm the ability to carry one.
The opposition included Democrat politicians suddenly reversing course to began supporting law enforcement by claiming these new laws would put officers in harm’s way. Fear-mongering quotes from local and state politicians included:
“If you don’t know how to use (a gun) and if you’re running around with it illegally, law enforcement needs to know that.”
“This bill allows an 18-year-old to walk around with a gun on their hip as if they are a cowboy.”
“I just said a prayer last night that I hope my greatest fears don’t come true, and that’s that South Carolina becomes the Wild, Wild West.”
Similar to what has happened in other states when mandated firearms training requirements were dropped, short sighted concealed carry instructors fearing the loss of business came out against the laws. One instructor commented, “It’s just a potential for chaos without education behind it and it’s not safe. “
Of course, the exact opposite has proved true each and every time permitless carry has been implemented. Armed citizens are less likely to be victims and violent crime has decreased. It’s as simple as that. UNLESS of course you utilize the proprietary, so-called “research” from the extremist gun-control groups, then it really is the wild, wild west out there. Which do you believe is true?
When it comes to training, when the cost prohibitive nature of the permit application process and mandated training programs are removed, more people actually do seek firearms training on their own. Business for firearms instructors in these states is booming (no pun intended).
Despite the official line of wanting to weed out criminals through background checks, concealed carry permits are most often utilized to restrict who will be granted the privilege to self-defense through overly expensive, intrusive and time consuming application processes.
Of course, the impact is greatest for those who may need to defend themselves the most, those who take public transportation, work late shifts, go through, or live in areas wealthier people can just go around. Not everyone can afford the costs of multiple fees, training, and time off from work to get a concealed carry permit. This all contributes to restricting the ability to defend yourself and your family to those who can afford the ‘privilege’.
Crime and violence continue to skyrocket around the country thanks to extreme-left law makers and prosecutors who prioritize defunding police departments, rewriting laws to lower penalties for crime, release those previously convicted of crimes and fail to hold those committing new property and violent crimes responsible for their actions. The result is more and more people are taking responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their families. In many cases, this involves buying, owning and carrying firearms for self-defense.
The full list of states with constitutional carry laws now includes Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Congratulations to the Pelican and Palmetto states!
Bob
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