Contact the Judiciary Chairman and demand a vote

Sen. Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) has introduced a great piece of legislation that would not only make your life easier, it would, potentially, save your life or the lives of your loved ones.

Sen. Bright is the chief sponsor of S. 115, a bill that allows all law-abiding citizens in the state to carry handguns as a matter of right — without having to submit to any obnoxious background checks or waiting periods.

South Carolinians would still be able to get a concealed carry license -– for the purpose of thwarting the Brady Law and unsafe school zones, and securing reciprocity with other states.

Sadly, Judiciary Chairman Larry Martin is acting like a “Boss Hogg” and is throwing his weight around, to the detriment of South Carolina gun owners.

Martin is blocking Sen. Bright’s pro-gun bill from coming up for a vote, saying it “[doesn’t] make sense to allow people to carry guns without training and a criminal background check.”

But doesn’t Sen. Martin understand that criminals don’t wait in lines to get permits? They are always able to get their hands on firearms — even to the point of smuggling them into prisons!

Just recently, Gov. Nikki Haley — while signing a bill to allow guns in restaurants that serve alcohol — voiced support for Sen. Lee Bright’s bill (S. 115).

According to the Post & Courier on February 11, 2014:

Gov. Nikki Haley expressed support for a bill Tuesday that would allow all South Carolinians to carry a weapon if they wanted to without having to go through training or a criminal background check.

Known as “constitutional carry,” the issue is being pushed by S.C. Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, who is running for U.S. Senate.

Under the law, gun owners would not have to pass the required training mandated [for] a Concealed Weapons Permit or be subject to a criminal background check. “We believe in those liberties and those rights,” Haley said.

This is welcome news. We’ve got the governor on our side. Let’s work to get Sen. Bright’s bill to her desk!

ACTION:

1. Send an email to Republican Sen. Larry Martin and demand that he stop acting like an anti-gun liberal. (A pre-written letter addressed to Sen. Martin is provided below.) You can contact Sen. Martin’s office through the following means:

* Webform — http://www.scstatehouse.gov/email.php?T=M&C=1172727132

* Senate office: (803) 212-6610

* Home: (864) 878-6105

* Business: (864) 306-2126

2. Contact your state Senator and urge him to support Sen. Bright’s constitutional carry bill (S. 115). See the method below for determining who your senator is and how to get the information on contacting him. A pre-written letter is provided.

HOW TO CONTACT-WRITE YOUR STATE SENATOR:

Proceed to http://cqrcengage.com/gunowners

Enter your zip code in the box provided under “Find Your Elected Officials” on the lower right. (Preferably, you should enter your nine-digit zip code to get the best answer.)

Scroll down and click on the name of your state senator.

Click on your senator’s website, which will be found under his or her name (upper left).

Find and click on the senator’s email address or webform.

Take the pre-written letter below and cut-n-paste this into the email or webform.

—– Pre-written letter to Sen. Larry Martin —–

[Subject: “Stop Blocking S. 115”]

Dear Senator Martin:

I am appalled at your ill-informed comments that you have made regarding Sen. Lee Bright’s constitutional carry bill (S. 115).

According to the Post & Courier on February 11, 2014, you said that ‘it didn’t make sense to allow people to carry guns without training and a criminal background check.”

But don’t you realize that criminals don’t wait in lines to get permits! They are always able to get their hands on firearms — even to the point of smuggling them into prisons.

According to last year’s PoliceOne.com survey of law-enforcement, officers favor “more permissive concealed carry policies for civilians” by a 2-to-1 margin — over mental health background checks for gun buyers — as the best way to prevent large-scale shootings in public.

Governor Nikki Haley supports Bright’s bill. According to the Post & Courier on February 11, 2014:

Gov. Nikki Haley expressed support for a bill Tuesday that would allow all South Carolinians to carry a weapon if they wanted to without having to go through training or a criminal background check.

Known as “constitutional carry,” the issue is being pushed by S.C. Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, who is running for U.S. Senate.

I urge you to stop blocking S. 115 and to bring it up for a vote.

Sincerely,

—– Pre-written letter to Senators (other than Larry Martin) —–

[Subject: “Please Cosponsor S. 115”]

Dear Senator:

Sen. Lee Bright (R-Spartanburg) has introduced S. 115, an important piece of legislation that allows all law-abiding citizens in the state to carry handguns as a matter of right — without having to submit to any obnoxious background checks or waiting periods.

Let’s face it: Criminals don’t wait in lines to get permits. They are always able to get their hands on firearms — even to the point of smuggling them into prisons.

And according to last year’s PoliceOne.com survey of law-enforcement, officers favor “more permissive concealed carry policies for civilians” by a 2-to-1 margin — over mental health background checks for gun buyers — as the best way to prevent large-scale shootings in public.

Governor Nikki Haley also supports Bright’s bill, having stated that, “We believe in those liberties and those rights.”

I urge you to please cosponsor S. 115.

Sincerely,