South Carolina House Fails to Pass Constitutional Carry Bill

Earlier this month, I reported that the South Carolina Senate passed a bill that would make it the next US state to adopt constitutional carry. That process has stalled for now as the state’s House of Representatives failed to pass the bill. Here’s what happens next.

The Bill

On February 1, 2024, the South Carolina Senate passed H 3594, a bill that contained several provisions including:

• Allowing anyone to carry a concealed handgun without a permit (provided they can legally own a handgun).
• Requiring the state to offer free gun safety classes.
• Lowering the age for concealed carry from 21 to 18.
• Harsher punishments for people who break gun laws.

Since South Carolina already allows gun owners to legally carry their weapons openly without a permit, this law would have made the Palmetto State the 28th Constitutional Carry state.

The House Vote

While the South Carolina Senate liked H 3594, the state’s House of Representatives didn’t. In an 87-26 vote, the Republican-majority House refused to pass the bill as it is. It’s an unusual move for the House, which passed a Constitutional Carry bill in 2023.

Instead of passing a multi-pronged bill, the House Republicans want a bill that purely does away with concealed carry permitting. House Majority Leader Davey Hoitt broke down the thought process in a post on X:

“While I respect the intentions and efforts of the Senate, the House Republican Caucus remains united in our decision to non-concur with the senate’s changes. We will return a clean version of the Constitutional Carry – Second Amendment Preservation Act to the Senate next week, the exact version that was overwhelmingly passed by the House last year. Our dedication to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens remains steadfast. It is our firm belief that this bill, in its original form, best reflects the fundamental rights and freedoms of our constituents.”

What Now?

The bill now heads back to the Senate. The Senate has the option to accept the House’s changes (getting rid of lowered age for concealed carry, free gun safety classes, and harsher punishments for gun crimes) or refuse them.

If the Senate refuses the House’s changes, each organization will choose three delegates. These delegates will need to negotiate on a compromise. If they can come to an agreement, the revised bill will land on Governor Henry Mcmaster’s desk.

South Carolina lawmakers have been working on a Constitutional Carry bill for over 10 years. Here’s to hoping that they can nail it this time.

Final Thoughts

This is definitely an interesting development in South Carolina’s race to be the next Constitutional Carry state. It gives Louisiana, which is fast-tracking its own Constitutional Carry bill, the chance to overtake South Carolina.

We’ll keep an eye on this situation as it develops.