Weekly Wrap: SC Embraces Constitutional Carry & NM Extends Waiting Periods on Guns
South Carolina joins other states in allowing Constitutional Carry, New Mexico's Gov. increases waiting period on guns, and Rust armorer found guilty.
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Welcome to a weekly series here on Pew Pew Tactical dedicated to the gun news you need to know.
So, keep reading for this week’s notable news headlines…
Table of Contents
South Carolina Embraces Constitutional Carry
Constitutional Carry is now legal in South Carolina after Gov. Henry McMaster signed House Bill 3594, allowing permitless carry for residents.
Under the new law any adult over the age of 18 who can legally own a gun in the state can openly carry it – no need for a permit or gun training. The bill does carve out exceptions preventing gun owners from carrying in places like schools and courtrooms. The bill also sets up funding for free gun training for residents, a measure that will cost the state around $5 million annually.
The bill moved through the state House on party lines before landing in the state Senate, where it was passed 28-18.
Proponents of the bill heralded the bill, saying it was a win for gun rights.
"Two things it advances: our Second Amendment freedoms for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves with firearms, but also addresses real gun crime, and that’s something that we can be proud of to vote on," Rep. Brandon Cox, one of the bill's sponsors, said. "Louisiana signed this bill into law this morning, and those states have not become the wild, wild west.”
On the other side, though, tensions ran high as opponents raised concerns about gun owners carrying without permits or required training. Moms Demand Action spokesperson Patty Tuttle said she expects the death rate to increase.
“I think it means our gun deaths will go up,” Tuttle said. “We currently have the sixth-highest rate of gun injury in the country and the sixth-highest rate of gun deaths in the country, and this will only go up. It will make law enforcement’s job more difficult.”
It’s worth noting that the bill institutes stiffer penalties for those who repeatedly carry firearms in prohibited places.
South Carolina joins 28 other states with constitutional carry laws on the books.
NM Governor Signs Bill Extending Gun Waiting Periods, Prohibiting Guns at Polls
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed a bill this week that would prohibit some firearms at polling stations across the state in addition to extending the waiting period for purchasing guns.
Under the new law, gun purchases must undergo a 7-day waiting period – more than double the current 3-day waiting period. The bill does exempt concealed carry permit holders, FFLs, law enforcement officers, and agencies.
In addition to the increased waiting period, the bill also prevents firearms within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes and voting locations. Again, exemptions to this include concealed carry permit holders and law enforcement officers.
“This legislation strikes at the heart of issues that are keeping New Mexicans up at night,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.
“We are losing far too many lives when guns get into the wrong hands and violent criminals are allowed to recommit again and again. This legislation addresses both.”
But opponents of the bill say there are better ways to keep citizens safe without punishing law-abiding gun owners.
“We should discuss and debate other measures that can help reduce crime while respecting our Second Amendment rights,” House Minority Leader Rep. Ryan Lane of Aztec said.
“These might include improving mental health services, bolstering community policing, bail reform, strengthening penalties for the criminal misuse of firearms, or enhancing gun safety education.”
The governor came under fire last summer after she suspected carry rights in parks and playgrounds in Albuquerque after declaring a public health emergency over gun violence. The decision was quickly overturned by a federal judge.
Rust Armorer Found Guilty in On-Set Shooting
Hanna Gutierrez-Reed-Reed, the armorer who loaded the revolver that killed a cinematographer on the set of the movie Rust, was found guilty by a New Mexico jury.
The jury convicted Gutierrez-Reed-Reed of involuntary manslaughter after a 10-day trial that saw prosecutors lay out a bevy of accusations against the armorer. Among those accusations is that Gutierrez-Reed brought live rounds to set, intermingling them with dummy rounds, and that she ignored basic safety rules.
"This is not a case where Hannah Gutierrez-Reed made one mistake, and that one mistake was accidentally putting a live round into that gun," prosecutor Kari Morrissey said in closing arguments.
"This case is about constant, never-ending safety failures that resulted in the death of a human being and nearly killed another."
On the day of the accident, Morrissey said that Gutierrez-Reed was not supervising the 20 set guns in use and was not present when actor Alec Baldwin prepped for the scene on set with the crew.
"She left the gun in the church, contrary to all the industry standards for armorers on movie sets," Morrissey explained.
Ultimately, during a rehearsal, the gun discharged while in Baldwin’s hands, firing a live round that killed Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
After a 2-hour deliberation, the jury handed down the conviction. She will face sentencing next month where she could see up to 18 months in prison.
Baldwin is currently awaiting his trial to begin for his part in the October 2021 shooting.