Even as left-leaning politicians and anti-gun activists attempt to scale back Second Amendment protections on a national level, a growing number of states are advancing efforts to enshrine those rights.
The “constitutional carry” movement, which is based on the concept that law-abiding Americans should have the right to carry firearms without a permit, has gained steam in Republican-led states over the past several years — and more than half of all states currently have some form of this protection on the books.
South Carolina recently became the 29th state to enact a permitless carry law when GOP Gov. Henry McMaster signed a bill into law on Thursday.
The bill, which was supported by the National Rifle Association, passed in the GOP-led House on Tuesday with a vote of 86 to 33 before advancing through the state Senate by a 28 to 18 margin.
His action came just two days after Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry approved a similar bill in that state.
Louisiana becomes the nation's 28th state with a constitutional carry law. It would be only one of a handful of states where the law would apply to those as young as 18.
Opponents of the new law argued that the law could make the state less safe and drive up the rates of those… pic.twitter.com/r3V2TZISRH
— Colion Noir (@MrColionNoir) March 8, 2024
In a statement touting the move, McMaster noted that in addition to protecting the rights of responsible citizens, the law “will provide strict increased penalties for illegal gun use and possession by criminals.”
State Rep. Bobby J. Cox, a Republican, was the primary sponsor of the South Carolina bill and celebrated the governor’s approval as “a long and hard-fought victory” for the state.
“Gov. McMaster and my colleagues across both chambers of the Legislature have sent a resounding message: South Carolinians should never require government permission to defend themselves, their families and their communities,” Cox asserted. “Our God-given right to self-defense, as enshrined in the Second Amendment to the Constitution, is unequivocally affirmed, just as our founding fathers intended.”
NRA CEO Andrew Arulanandam marked the passage of two constitutional carry laws within the span of just two days — and a total of 13 since President Joe Biden’s inauguration — with a statement on behalf of the organization.
“The NRA is here to stay, relentlessly fighting across this entire nation,” he said. “Make no mistake, doubting the NRA and our members is a sure path to defeat, as history has consistently shown that challenging the NRA’s resolve results in a loss every time.”
