COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two mass shootings in South Carolina, along with other recent shooting incidents, have prompted state lawmakers to consider changing gun laws.
The mass shootings happened in April, one at the Columbiana Centre in Columbia and the other at a lounge in Hampton County, both injuring over 20 people total.
Now, there's a bipartisan effort to strengthen penalties for illegal gun possession. It’s a rare sight when Republicans and Democrats agree over gun legislation, but the recent violence has united the parties in wanting change.
“Republicans, Democrats, Black, white — everybody understand this is intolerable," Senator Dick Harpootlian told News19 Wednesday. "Innocent people — a 76-year-old man at the mall shot for being at the food court. I mean, that’s unacceptable," Harpootlian added, referring to the Columbiana shooting.
The Richland County Democrat has proposed increasing the sentencing for illegal gun possession. Current South Carolina law states that someone found guilty of illegally possessing a gun could be fined up to $1,000 or sentenced to no more than one year in prison. Harpootlian's proposal would make the mandatory minimum penalty a one year sentence for the first offense and two years for the second.
"More importantly," Harpootlian added, "it’d require a general sessions court judge to set bond, not a magistrate. And that means there’s going to be a lot more deliberate focus on each one of these as to whether or not they’re going to get out on bond.”
His plan is to introduce an amendment to House Bill 3050 on the Senate floor. The bill has already passed the House and a Senate Committee. Harpootlian said his amendment will be germane, "because one of the pieces of it deals with who can possess a weapon.”
Governor Henry McMaster backs Harpootlian’s plan. In a series of tweets, McMaster wrote, "law enforcement needs help keeping illegal, stolen guns out of the hands of juveniles and criminals.” He added that he’ll sign the proposal into law if it reaches his desk.
Harpootlian said he has "broad bipartisan support" in the General Assembly as well. However, lawmakers are racing against a deadline of Maty 12: The last day of this two-year legislative session.
The Senate is currently working on the state budget, so it’s unclear when exactly the proposal will be brought up, if at all.