COLUMBIA — More than 90 faith leaders from around South Carolina are planning to send a letter to state lawmakers March 16 in opposition to a pair of open carry gun bills, saying the legislation could add to their task of healing communities that have been "shattered by gun violence."
The letter, which was coordinated in part by South Carolina volunteers for the gun safety group Moms Demand Action and shared with The Post and Courier, comes as the state House is expected to debate and vote on one of the bills to allow trained gun owners with a permit to carry their handguns openly in public as soon as this week.
Pastors and ministers at churches across the state, from Disciples United Methodist Church in Greenville to Charity Mission Baptist Church in North Charleston to First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach, wrote in the letter that they "have been at the forefront of the fight against gun violence in South Carolina."
"As faith leaders in our state, we know all too well the devastating consequences of gun violence, as we approach six years since a white supremacist murdered nine Black parishioners at Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston," the letter says.
Signers also include the Rev. Sharon Risher, whose mother, Ethel Lee Lance, was among the victims of the Emanuel AME shooting.
The "open carry with training" bill is likely to win approval in the Republican-dominated House, where many members have campaigned on promises to expand gun rights.
Majority Leader Gary Simrill, R-Rock Hill, said earlier in the 2021 legislative session that it was a "near certitude" the bill would make it out of the House after becoming a top GOP agenda item.
But the bill already faces opposition from another typically influential group in the Statehouse: law enforcement.
Charleston Police Chief Luther Reynolds testified against the bill in subcommittee, and State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel also expressed concerns, saying he believes it could exacerbate gun violence.
The other bill, which would let anyone carry guns openly regardless of whether they have a permit, received its first subcommittee hearing last week. Conservative supporters of that measure, known as "constitutional carry," may seek to push it through over the open carry with training bill.
That proposal drew particular condemnation from the Rev. Henry Gregory, who said it's important for the clergy to speak out because their congregations look to them for consolation in the face of gun violence.
"Certainly, it makes our job even tougher when the Legislature seems to give gun rights out almost recreationally and without responsibility," said Gregory, pastor of New Home AME Zion Church in York.
State Rep. Bobby Cox, the lead sponsor of both gun bills, said he respects the pastor's concerns but noted that 45 other states have some form of open carry laws "with little to no issue." He cited a spike in gun sales over recent years as evidence of "an unprecedented desire for people to exercise their Second Amendment right."
"This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, but a constitutional, personal safety issue," said Cox, R-Greenville.
Whether either bill will make it through the Senate remains unclear. Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, R-Edgefield, said he personally supports the "open carry with training" bill but is not sure where the rest of the chamber stands and whether it will fit into their busy legislative calendar.
