S. 753 will change the SC resident CWP into a lifetime CWP instead of a renewable every four years CWP. But, there are problems with S. 753 with regards to renewals for existing CWP holders that need to be fixed. Additionally, once the CWP renewal problems are exposed, there is a good chance politicians will try to amend S. 753 to change the fee for a CWP from the current $50 to a much higher fee. We will need to be vigilant and not allow our rights to be used for revenue production instead of just cost recovery.
Section 23-31-215(A) requires SLED to issue a CWP if an applicant meets the prescribed standards. This section of the law is NOT being amended by S. 753. So, the law for issuing a CWP is not changing under S. 753.
The ONLY section of law that is changing under S. 753 is the section dealing with RENEWALS of a CWP - Section 23-31-215(P). It provides that a resident CWP is good for life and that renewal fees for a resident CWP will be changed from $50 to $100 to $200 - depending upon one's age at time of renewal. But, if you get a lifetime CWP initially, you will not need to renew it.
So, S. 753 will provide that a person who obtains a new CWP will get one issued for life for a fee of $50. But, those of us who already have a CWP and want to renew it will be forced to pay from $100 to $200 to get exactly what others are getting for $50. What extra services will existing CWP holders be provided that new CWP applicants will not be provided to justify the extra dollars (over $11 million) from existing CWP holders? This alone should show that S. 753 is discriminatory and probably unconstitutional since it denies equal protection of the laws. But, most likely, the way the politicians will go about fixing this inequality is to raise the fee for a new CWP, not lower the proposed fee for renewing an existing CWP.
S. 753 needs to be amended to allow for an existing CWP holder to have her CWP changed to a lifetime CWP for the same fee that would be charged for a lost CWP. Either way, it is just a matter of having SLED replace the CWP card for a current CWP holder.
Dr. John Lott's work proves increased numbers of CWP holders are directly responsible for decreased rates of violent crime for everyone, and increased costs to obtain or maintain a CWP lead to fewer people getting a CWP. Thus, when CWP fees are higher, violent crime rates for all people in SC remain higher than the violent crime rates would have been had the CWP fees been lower. Therefore, the best public policy for SC would dictate that CWP fees remain lower - not higher - so that more people will get CWPs and thereby help protect the people of SC at no cost to the state or people of SC.
As things stand now, the people of SC reap an unearned benefit from CWP holders while making CWP holders shoulder the entire cost burden associated with obtaining a CWP. There is no justice in making CWP holders - the good guys who protect the people of SC - bear all of the costs of obtaining a CWP and then force CWP holders to pay more for renewing or obtaining a CWP than the actual administrative costs would dictate.
If politicians want to know what a fair CWP renewal fee should be, then tell them to take a lesson from the DMV and driver's licenses. The DMV is able to provide a written test, road test, and all associated record keeping for only $2.50 per year.
GrassRoots GunRights strongly supports a lifetime CWP. But, GrassRoots also believes our constitutional right to keep and bear arms should not be infringed by allowing fees to be determined by what politicians think they can get from us. Remember, the power to tax is the power to destroy. If we allow the precedent to be set that our right to keep and bear arms is subject to paying a fee higher than reasonable administrative costs (i.e., DMV's cost of $2.50 per year), then it makes it easier for anti gun politicians to later raise CWP fees to unbearable levels.