This month, state legislators heard debate on H.3094 or the “Open Carry with Training Act.” The bill would allow the open carry of firearms in South Carolina wherever concealed carry is already lawful. Currently, South Carolina is one of five states without open carry.
Proponents of the bill have argued that it would help South Carolina catch up to the rest of the country in terms of gun ownership rights. Republican Representative Chris Wooten of House District 69, however, had a different rationale: open carry legislation would prevent gun violence caused by…medial marijuana?
On the House floor, Wooten directly referenced medical marijuana legislation that is currently being deliberated in the state Senate and claimed that 94% of officer-involved shootings involved a perpetrator who was under the influence of “either marijuana or some type of drug.” The fallacious comment prompted audible gasps and laughter from his House colleagues.
The “Open Carry with Training Act” has drawn fire – pun intended – from activists and law enforcement, alike, who have criticized the bill as one that would threaten the safety of both civilians and officers.
Many critics of the bill have been quick to cite a study that found that the mere sight of a gun increases an individual’s feelings of hostility and aggression. Others, including Representative Jermaine Johnson of House District 80, argue that the legislation will not be enforced equally and that open carry puts Black gunowners at a greater risk than their white counterparts.
In spite of Wooten’s laughable comment, as well as growing concern over the safety of open carry, H.3094 passed through the House. The bill currently resides in the Senate Judiciary Committee where it awaits further deliberation.