Gun Control at the South Carolina State House

For the past three weeks I have been covering gun control and the national movement to prevent more mass shootings from happening. I know what you�re thinking, �Jacob, can we just move on already? There�s all kinds of things to talk about. I�m tired of hearing about gun control whenever I turn on the TV or scroll through my Twitter feed.�

            Well, that�s the point. By consistently shoving this topic in your face along with many other outlets and activists doing the same, action will eventually be taken by our lawmakers because of the amount of pressure being levied against them. While I have been focusing on the national discussion and reaction to Parkland, I decided that I would look into what actions or lack thereof are being taken at the State House on this week�s blog.

            The core arguments circulating in the general assembly are reminiscent of those happening at the national level. There have been a few small bills aimed at increasing school security that have received bipartisan support. One of those bills was proposed by Republican Senator Sandy Senn of Charleston that would make it a crime to threaten use of a firearm at school. Threatening to use explosives at a school is already a crime but Senn wants to add firearms to the list because, �This is a gap we as lawmakers need to close.�

            Another bill introduced by Senator Sean Bennett of Summerville would reduce the amount of mandated fire drills that each school has to conduct every year and allow each district to decide what to substitute in its place, whether it be a lockdown drill or an active shooter drill. Representative Marvin Pendarvis of North Charleston filed a bill that took the same approach as Bennet but would mandate active shooter drills. When I asked the representative about Senator Bennet�s bill he replied, �I would support that.�

Democratic Members of the General Assembly rallying to close the "Charleston loophole."

            Beyond these remedial measures, there has been almost no bipartisanship to be found in Columbia on the issue of gun reform. Right now, there are dozens of bills that have been proposed and filed but not many are going anywhere. One of those bills was sponsored by Senator Marlon Kimpson of Charleston which would close the �Charleston loophole� which allows anybody to buy a gun after a three-day waiting period if the seller of the gun does not hear back from the FBI after requesting a background check. If the FBI does not give a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down on a buyer within three days, that person can buy a gun. Senator Kimpson�s bill would extend that waiting period to five days. At the national level, there has been a discussion to extend the waiting period to twenty-eight days or however long it takes for the FBI to respond. I asked Representative Pendarvis why Kimpson was only pushing for the five-day waiting period and he told me that, �In South Carolina we�ve got to take baby steps.�

An idea that has gained some traction and is popular among some conservatives (including the President) is the proposal to arm teachers in order to keep students safe. This idea is not a new one in South Carolina. Following the shooting at Townville Elementary school in Anderson in 2016, there was a big push to arm school officials and teachers from lawmakers at the State House. The shooting in Parkland has reinvigorated that idea and Governor McMaster has declared his support for it, further encouraging Republican lawmakers to go forward with drafting legislation that would allow it. However, the idea has received widespread backlash from both sides, including many teachers. One of my teachers, Lisa Shaffer, is adamantly against the proposal and told me, �An armed teacher is completely non-conductive to an environment that promotes growth� I have zero faith that a teacher can handle thirty kids in a classroom along with a weapon at the same time.�

 When I asked Representative Pendarvis about the proposal, he struck it down without hesitation saying, �Absolutely not.�

            In regards to some of the more liberal policies surrounding gun control such as the ban on assault weapons and raising the age at which a person can buy a gun from 18 to 21, it is a long shot in Columbia. However, a bill that would ban assault weapons was recently introduced by Representative Wendy Brawley of Hopkins and is currently in the subcommittee phase. I asked Representative Pendarvis if this bill had a chance of getting anywhere. He said that he is �cautiously optimistic� but, �If there�s a time for it, that time is now.�

            He is right. The time is now and many lawmakers are currently requesting public input on the issue of gun reform. While the country has been fixated on this issue for a longer time than usual, eventually the floodwaters of activism will subside and the country will move on. If you want to make a difference, the window of opportunity is wide open right now but will slowly begin to get smaller and smaller. If you think that your voice will not make a difference, take a look at the Florida legislature that passed a bill that would ban bump stocks and raise the age at which a person can buy a gun to 21 on Wednesday afternoon. That would not have been possible without overwhelming pressure applied against them by countless voices. That�s all for this week.