Senate approves amended guns in parks bill
EAST JACKSON — A proposal allowing guns in parks gets one step closer to the governor‘s desk. The legislation strips city and county governments of the power to ban firearms in some places. A proposal allowing guns in parks, playgrounds and sports fields passed in the Senate on Wednesday. Madison County Commissioner Larry Lowrance supports the legislation and said it might make us safer. “If you look at the statistics, the people that have the carry permits are some of the safest, most law abiding people in the world,” Lowrance said. Madison County Commissioner Luther T. Mercer disagrees with the proposal. “Parks were not designed for weapons,” Mercer said. “That’s for families to go and for recreation, for the kids to have fun.” The measure would keep city and county governments from banning guns in those places, an issue Lowrance said is complex. “If you were driving today in Madison County and it was allowed, and then you went into Chester County and it was not allowed, you could get in trouble with the law because of inconsistencies,” Lowrance said. The Senate‘s proposal would allow handgun carry permit holders to also carry weapons on the grounds of the state Capitol. “This is not no western,” Mercer said. “You know we ain’t got no business carrying no weapons in the Capitol. No. That’s wrong. Totally.” The legislation would apply to the state‘s 500,000 handgun carry permit holders. The amended Senate proposal allowing guns on the grounds of the state Capitol will now go back to the House.
