Bill would give drivers quicker access to handguns

Bill would give drivers quicker access to handguns

by April M. Silvaggio
Published: Feb. 16, 10:32 a.m.
Call it extra automobile insurance.
At least, that’s the way some lawmakers are describing a bill working its way through the South Carolina House that if approved will give drivers the right to legally carry a loaded handgun under the seat of their car in addition to stowing it inside their vehicle’s glove box.
Under the current law, tucking a loaded .38 revolver beneath the seat can lead to an arrest for unlawfully carrying a handgun, a misdemeanor that upon conviction is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in jail. Not to mention the fact the law also requires authorities to confiscate the weapon.
Like nearly two dozen other states across the nation, South Carolina doesn’t require drivers to have a concealed weapon permit to legally carry a loaded pistol in their car. It does, however, mandate where the gun can be carried – secured in a closed glove compartment, closed console or in the trunk.
State Rep. Eric Bedingfield, one of nine sponsors of the proposed legislation, said the way he sees it, the bill levels the playing field for motorists who carry a handgun for protection.
“Under the seat, you’ve got a little easier access,” Bedingfield said. “We can’t stop a criminal from sticking a handgun in his waistband or his socks, so this just evens the playing field a little. It’s the law-abiding citizens who are carrying their handguns in the glove box.”
Across the country, laws differ from state to state when it comes to carrying handguns in automobiles.
Vermont allows drivers to carry a loaded pistol whether concealed or in plain sight. No permit is required.
In Texas, however, a loaded handgun in a vehicle must be concealed. Alternately, as in Virginia, it must be plainly visible.
Kentucky requires the handgun either be kept in plain sight or in a vehicle’s glove compartment, although carrying a gun anywhere else in the vehicle’s passenger compartment requires a concealed carry permit.
In California and New Jersey, transport of a gun in a vehicle is only allowed if the gun is unloaded and secured out of the reach of the driver. And in Maryland, carrying a loaded handgun in a vehicle is unlawful whether carried concealed or in plain view without a permit.
Most law enforcement officers have yet to speak out for or against the bill. And officially, the South Carolina Sheriff’s Association hasn’t taken a stand.
But Jeff Moore, the executive director of the organization said this week while the legislation does expand a motorist’s right to carry handgun, he tends to think along the same line as Bedingfield.
“It could possibly put an officer’s safety in jeopardy if a motorist had ill-will towards him,” Moore said. “But law enforcement is trained to understand the bad guy is probably going to have his gun underneath his leg or under a coat on the passenger seat anyway. We aren’t going to have a huge objection to this because it isn’t going to make a big difference to us. The bad guys don’t follow the rules anyway.”