Gun bill before SC Senate could permit concealed weapons in schools

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Gun bill before SC Senate could permit concealed weapons in schools Email story to a friend Heather Hoopes on the gun bill January 23, 2002 - A bill passed by the South Carolina House and now before the Senate would let people with concealed weapons permits carry guns into public buildings including schools. Supporters say the 1996 concealed weapons law needs to be tuned up, because some gray areas could land someone into trouble. Gun advocates are also asking to relax the law letting permit holders carry guns in more places. Grass Roots, a pro gun group pushing the proposed changes, says it's only serving law abiding citizens who can legally carry concealed weapons.Rob Butler, vice president of Grass Roots South Carolina can not carry his concealed weapon in the Lexington County Library, but Butler believes the building would be safer if he could, "If there ever was a problem here, it would allow innocent people to be protected." Along with libraries permit holders could carry their guns into other public buildings such as the State House and schools. Right now, police officers are the only ones who can legally carry a gun into South Carolina classrooms, something Butler thinks should change. Butler says, "It's not an unusual idea. It's not a crazy idea." He says eight other states allow that kind of access, but right now in South Carolina only police officers can legally carry guns into schools. Grass Roots just sent out a mailer asking the roughly 35,000 statewide concealed weapon permit holders to write their senators and tell them to relax and clear up the 1996 gun law. Senator Darrell Jackson (D-Richland County) says teachers are telling him they don't want more guns in schools, and he feels the same about other public places, "That's one place where you do not need any type of weapon." Jackson says in 1996 lawmakers drafted the law to err on the side of caution, especially for places with heated public debate, "Can you imagine some place if someone is allowed to carry a concealed weapon to visit county council." That someone could be Senator Andre Bauer (R-Lexington County), a permit holder who remembers the 1996 debate and now supports the changes, "I heard horror stories of how people are gonna walk down Main Street, it's gonna be like the wild west. People were gonna have to be fearful for their lives. We haven't seen any problems from people with concealed weapon permits." A similar bill has passed the House. Its author, Representative Jake Knotts, says taking guns into schools was not his intent, and Wednesday afternoon he contacted a legislator drafter to fix his bill. A spokesman for another pro-gun group, Gun Owners of South Carolina says he believes a workable bill can be drafted to meet everybody's needs. http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=633829&nav=0RaM6sx3