Following two weeks of debate, a bill that would allow eligible adults in South Carolina to carry loaded guns without any training or a permit is closer than ever to becoming reality after it passed the state Senate Thursday. The bill now moves onto the House, which passed a version of the measure last year.
Under current law, people who want to carry handguns in the open in South Carolina have to complete training and obtain a concealed weapons permit. This bill, however, would do away with those training and permitting requirements, but offer free gun training as a means to encourage people to still take the currently-required class.
The bill also lowers the age to carry a handgun in public from 21 to 18 and allows gun owners to store handguns anywhere in their car. The measure has been widely panned by law enforcement agencies that say permitless carry could create more dangerous situations for police.
Under the bill, guns would still be banned in the same places where they are currently not allowed, including schools, churches and courthouses.
In City Paper news today:
CP OPINION: Trustees need to be leaders, not children. “We understand how it’s hard to listen, compromise, work collaboratively and sometimes take a middle course. It’s much easier to ram something down the throats of people with whom you disagree, especially when you have the votes to do what you want. But that doesn’t make that kind of behavior right, just, kind or compassionate. Frankly, it’s just plain rude.”
CP CARTOON:
CP FOCUS: An approach to flood control flows in Charleston. The Dutch have devised modest, innovative ways to channel and capture water. Some of these basic ideas are being used today in Charleston’s flood-prone neighborhoods. A story from Amsterdam and Charleston.
CP NEWS: Charleston Co. gives nod to remove tree protections. Charleston County Council gave first approval Wednesday to amend an existing ordinance that would remove some regulations against tree removal on county road and drainage project sites.
CP DISH: Elevated eats find their ways into Charleston watering holes. Bar food, once relegated to the category of deep-fried delights, has come a long way in recent years, with more and more bars and restaurants pivoting to offering food that’s sometimes lighter and brighter and often just plain fun.
CP DISH: Winter sweetens the deal for an elevated greens experience in Charleston. As we plod knee-deep through the drudgery of winter, the taste of tomato sandwiches and buttered corn-on-the-cob consigned to precious memory, let us train our gastronomic eye upon the season of cool-weather greens.
CP DISH: Where to find slices of pizza in the Lowcountry. A simple Google search will yield: grandma pizza, wood-fired pizza, New York-style pizza, thin and crispy bar pies, Detroit, Chicago, Neapolitan, etc. But whether you like it thick, thin, circular, rectangular or maybe even folded over (calzone, anyone?), there’s no shortage of pizzas in the Charleston area.
In other recent headlines:
Democrats head to polls statewide Saturday in big primary. Saturday is the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary, an election seen as the first test of the Black vote as well as a candidates’ viability in the South. Polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. statewide.
S.C. country star Darius Rucker arrested on drug charges. Music star and Charleston native Darius Rucker recently was arrested in Williamson County, Tennessee, on drug charges, according to the sheriff’s office, facing charges of simple possession, casual exchange and violation of registration law. He was released on $1,000 bond.
Shelter program closes popular Charleston culinary program. Charleston homeless shelter One80 Place quietly closed its popular culinary training program, citing a change in strategy. The program, which closed at the beginning of 2024, was a source of skilled kitchen help for Lowcountry restaurants and was highly regarded by area chefs.
McMaster, local leaders celebrate Revolutionary War installation in Marion Square. Gov. Henry McMaster and Charleston Mayor William Cogswell came together to celebrate a new addition to downtown Charleston’s Marion Square: Thirty-two bronze plates to mark the path of the Revolutionary War Horn Work, a massive wall that spanned almost three city blocks in what is now downtown Charleston.
Charleston police break down retention, recruitment strategies. The Charleston Police Department is speaking with 28 students from Clemson University to educate them about the importance of becoming police officers.
Violence interruption hotline growing community programs, relationships in N. Charleston. Violence Interrupter Hotline leaders are regarding the initiative as an innovative way to stop violence at its root, and are continuing to expand and improve with community outreach and advocacy.
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