RINOs Work with Dems to Save Face
We've seen some wild things in Columbia, but maybe none as wild as this.
To recap, the SC House passed a decent Constitutional Carry Bill and sent it to the SC Senate last year. The Senate gutted the bill, creating constitutionally questionable classes of gun owners, and exempting legislators from gun laws that our constituents would have to follow.
The SC Freedom Caucus, from the moment the Senate passed their watered-down version, called for the House to amend the bill back to its original form.
The RINO Caucus pushed for the House to concur with the Senate changes and cut a deal with the NRA to try and pressure the Freedom Caucus into accepting the anti-gun amendments. We refused, stood strong for the Second Amendment, and issued a call to action.
Grassroots activists from across the Palmetto State made thousands of calls, and sent thousands of texts and emails demanding the House reject the Senate's amendments.
Because of the pressure put on the House Republican Caucus, they were forced to do a 180 and came out against the Senate version of Constitutional Carry (a week after the Freedom Caucus) and advocated for striking the Senate's language and inserting the House's.
Freedom Caucus member Thomas Beach (Anderson) had already placed an amendment on the desk to do just that—strike the Senate's version and replace it with what passed the House last year.
Representative Russell Ott, a Democrat, had the first amendment on the desk which dealt with the CWP permit process. Freedom Caucus members had amendments 2-9.
Because the House GOP Caucus had originally supported the Senate's anti-gun legislation, any amendment they put up would be after the Freedom Caucus' amendments to fix the Senate's mistakes.
Of course, the “Republicans” outside of the SCFC weren’t going to let this happen. They can't stand when the Freedom Caucus can claim victory. They care more about personality than policy.
In a quintessential display of the Uniparty at work, the Republican Caucus (or as we now call them the “Copy and Paste Caucus”) worked with Democrats to substitute Ott's amendment with their own. Instead of working with the Freedom Caucus for the betterment of our constituents, liberal Republican leadership worked with Democrats to save face. And funny enough, Democrat Russell Ott ultimately didn’t even vote for the substituted amendment.
Yes. You read that right. Instead of simply working with the most conservative members of the General Assembly, the House GOP Caucus hatched a behind-closed-doors plan with Democrats to ensure they wouldn't have to vote on a Freedom Caucus amendment.
This is petty politics at its worst. But ultimately, because of the Freedom Caucus refusal to bow to pressure, and the work of grassroots activists, we were able to force the House Republicans to join our efforts and reject the Senate's anti-gun amendments.
The bill now heads back to the Senate where they can vote to accept the House version and make South Carolina the 28th Constitutional Carry State.
Call your Senator ASAP and tell them to support the House Bill!
