Tim Smith

tcsmith@greenvillenews.com

COLUMBIA —Legislation allowing Georgia concealed weapons permit holders the right to carry their guns in South Carolina and for South Carolina permit holders to do the same in Georgia is headed to Gov. Nikki Haley's desk.

The Senate Wednesday night passed the bill 35-3 after changing it back to the House version.

Sen. Marlon Kimpson, a Charleston Democrat who has decried the lack of hearings this year on expanded background check legislation, had held up the bill with a filibuster and 80 amendments with hours left in this year's legislative session.

But Kimpson signaled Wednesday morning he might withdraw his amendments and allow a final vote if progress continued on talks about work on expanded background check legislation next year.

He apparently was satisfied Wednesday night and agreed to withdraw his amendments and allow a vote on the bill, though still voting against it.

"We accomplished this through the spirit of bi-partisan cooperation," he told the Senate, "because this body has an eye on the next legislative year."

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Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Larry Martin of Pickens, had been dealing not only with Kimpson's objections also had to deal with an amendment by Sen. Lee Bright, a Spartanburg County Republican, to allow all states' permit holders to be recognized in South Carolina.

Martin thanked both senators and said the bill would be stripped of all amendments, so it could pass just as the House sent it.

That means the bill will head to Haley's desk and does not have to go back to the House.

Kimpson said hearings on the expanded background check issue will be held in Charleston.

He said he realizes it will be a difficult issue because there are "hard feelings on both sides."

Kimpson has repeatedly pushed for a hearing on expanded background check legislation this year but Martin had declined, saying he opposed such legislation and did not think it could pass.

He told Kimpson in recent weeks a hearing could be held this summer.

Kimpson said the issue was important to those in Charleston because of last year's murders of Sen. Clementa Pinckney and eight of his parishioners by a gunman who authorities said should not have been able to buy a gun given information known then by local law enforcement that was never seen by FBI background check personnel.

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Martin said he believes whatever flaws that prevented the records from being located by the FBI would not have been cured by extra days in the waiting period but said he believes lawmakers should do everything they can to tighten the process.

The bill has been the top scheduled item for debate in the Senate but Kimpson has kept it from passing easily.

Kimpson and other senators argued the Georgia bill has flaws because Georgia, unlike South Carolina, does not require firearms training and allows 18-year-olds to get permits.

Other senators argued that South Carolina already recognizes other states that allow 18-year-old permit holders.

Kimpson argued Tuesday night that Georgia has collected far fewer records on those who have been adjudicated mentally ill, a factor that should disqualify someone from holding a concealed weapons permit or to buy a gun at a store, than South Carolina, even though South Carolina has less than half of Georgia's population.

He said Wednesday, however, that he realizes most of the chamber likely supports the bill.

"You've got to be willing to fight for something," Kimpson said. "But also, you've got to recognize the numbers. It's a fine line you have to walk to try and achieve as much as you can achieve. You can win the battle but not the war. I think we're making progress on educating the body and also elevating the conversation on meaningful background checks and the reason they need to be complete before a gun is sold."