Constitutional Carry and Medical Freedom

By: Senator Shane Martin
Shane@SenatorMartin.com

Constitutional Carry
I am pleased that Constitutional Carry passed the General Assembly last week and the governor signed the bill. I sponsored the first Constitutional Carry legislation in 2012 and every year since. This legislation is about nothing more and nothing less than our God-given Constitutional rights.

South Carolina now joins twenty-eight other states that follow the Constitution and the 2nd Amendment. We heard the familiar and tired objections that simply following the law would result in rampant lawlessness. But we know that criminals do not follow the law. The permit requirement simply disarms their victims. Beyond reaffirming our Constitutional rights, my bill will prevent the victimization of many people who now have the option to defend themselves without first asking government for permission, and then paying for that permission.

I am proud to see this day, and I am proud that South Carolina once again fully respects this provision of the US Constitution. I also very much appreciate all those who supported me and this effort over the years. This is a victory for all South Carolinians who respect the Constitution and respect the law.
Now that Constitutional Carry is law, I am focused on fighting for our Medical Freedom.

Medical Freedom
S.975 is my bill also known as the Medical Freedom Act. It currently is under consideration in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee. I wrote the bill to address several concerns that arose following the drastic measures taken in South Carolina and around the country from 2020-2022. It prevents vaccine mandates for “novel vaccines”, which are new, unproven vaccines that have not been approved by the FDA. It also bans so-called “emergency use authorization” vaccines like those approved by the FDA for COVID without having gone through the usual trials and study. It greatly curbs the enforcement powers of state officials during a declared public health emergency, including prohibiting the use of local law enforcement and the National Guard to enforce compliance. It limits DHEC’s quarantine powers to only to symptomatic people, people who are actually sick, and people who have been directly exposed. My bill also removes the ability of DHEC to mandate that health care providers carry out its orders. The bill will receive other amendments addressing the overall protocols for emergency declarations by the governor and the rights of all individuals to refuse invasive medical treatment as a condition of employment or free movement. I expect this bill to restore the rights of all South Carolinians to control their own health care decisions and also strongly curtail the ability of the government to restrict freedom or coerce compliance.

Author: Tracy Sanders