Gov. McMaster cites ‘constitutional freedoms’ at signing for new SC open-carry gun law

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster held a ceremonial bill signing at a shooting range on Friday for a new law that will allow concealed weapon permit holders to openly carry their firearms in public.

The Open Carry with Training Act, which McMaster had already signed into law, takes effect Sunday and will allow people with permits to openly carry their handguns. The state already allows people to openly carry rifles and other long guns without permits.

“This is a good day for South Carolina,” said McMaster. “It is a happy day for law-abiding citizens, and I hope that we can continue to be ... a great example for the rest of the country.”

The event was held at Palmetto State Armory in Greenville, where McMaster concluded by shooting off several weapons at target practice with Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and the bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Bobby Cox, R-Greenville.

Cox said the bipartisan legislation was a historic step for the state in protecting constitutional rights. With 70 co-sponsors, Cox added, it is the most significant Second Amendment bill to be passed in the state over the past 25 years.

“This bill ... is a big step in restoring our constitutional freedoms and allowing individuals more options to protect themselves and their families,” he said.

The state now joins 45 others around the country with open-carry laws. Florida, California, New York and Illinois are the only states without a similar law.

South Carolina has the eighth-highest death mortality rate in the country due to gun violence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. McMaster said Friday that the law will allow people to better protect themselves.