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WEBVTT OFFICERS. >> >> THE OPENING SALVO IS EXPECTED TO COME WHEN THE LEGISLATURE GOES BACK INTO SESSION NEXT WEEK >> WE’VE SEEN MORE AND MORE SCHOOL RELATED MASS SHOOTINGS, WE CANNOT VITALLY STAND BY AND DO NOTHING. >> THIGPEN AND FELLOW REP WENDY BRAWLEY ARE PROPOSING A 7% FEE ON GUN SALES. MONEY THEY SAY WOULD A FOUR -- PAY FOR SRO’S IN EVERY SCHOOL. >> THE GOVERNOR MADE PLACING AN SRO IN EVERY SCHOOL IN SOUTH CAROLINA A MAJOR CAMPAIGN ISSUE AND WE WOULD HOPE HE IS SERIOUS ABOUT THAT. >> 7% TO ME THAT’S JUST A KNEE JERK REACTION GUN RETAILER JIM BRAZIEL SAYS A MIDDLE OF THE ROAD HANDGUN COSTS ABOUT $400. ADD $24 FOR SALES TAX AND THEN AN ADDITIONAL 7% FEE OF $28 . THAT MAKES THE TOTAL PRICE OF THE GUN $452. >> WHAT WOULD HAPPEN PEOPLE WOULD START GOING TO INTERNET SALES, PURCHASE IT FROM DISTRIBUTORS OUT OF STATE NOT PAYING ANY SALES TAX AND HAVE IT SHIPPED INTO HERE. >> BRAZIEL SAYS THE PROPOSAL IS AN O.K. PLACE TO START THE DISCUSSION, BUT HE SAYS FUNDING FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS SHOULD BE EVERYBODY’S RESPONSIBILITY. >> MAYBE 1% ON FIREARMS. 1% ON ACCESSORIES. 1% ON ALL ACCESSORIES. >> REPRESENTATIVES BRAWLEY AND THIGPEN SAY THEY ARE HOPING FOR SUPPORT FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE IN COLUMBIA AS THE

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Two South Carolina lawmakers are proposing a new 7 percent fee to every gun sale in the state, with proceeds going toward school resource officers.Rep. Wendy Brawley, D-District 70, and Rep. Ivory Thigpen D-District 79, are behind the new proposal set to be discussed in the Ways and Means Committee. They told WIS-TV that more than 600 schools across the state are operating without school resource officers, mainly due to a lack of funding.It’s estimated the proposed gun fee would generate another $22 million in revenue each year, which Brawley and Thigpen said could help provide more safety in our schools.They also said this is not anti-gun legislation, and they are hoping to gain support on both sides of the aisle.“The governor made placing an SRO in every school in South Carolina – public school – a major campaign issue and we would hope that he was serious about that because this gives us a very good head-start toward getting toward that goal and we are hoping that he will support this and will encourage others in his party to do the same,” Brawley said.Thigpen said, “A life is precious and in this climate that we’ve seen more and more school-related mass shootings, we cannot idly stand by and do nothing.”WIS-TV reached out to the governor’s office and received this response:“The governor has said before that we cannot tax our way to prosperity. New taxes or fees will slow economic growth and unduly burden the people of South Carolina. Governor McMaster was the first to start talking about the need for school resource officers last year in his state of the state address and secured more than $2 million in the final budget for a pilot program to begin the process of reaching his goal of having a certified law enforcement officer in every school, in every county, all day, every day. Reaching that goal is a matter of prioritizing existing funds – not simply taxing and spending.”Thigpen said this is a way for people to do something positive with the right to bear arms.“We live in a state where people buy guns and people own guns. We’re not in any way saying that people shouldn’t do that. As a matter of fact, people have every right to. What we are saying is that we need recurring revenue and funds to provide the type of security and safety that our children need.”The lawmakers behind the proposal said they fully anticipate pushback.“We know that there’ll be some pushback. We are prepared for that, but this is a people’s bill. This is designed to help the most vulnerable population we have and that’s our children,” Brawley said. Copyright 2019 WIS. All rights reserved.