This state's "Second Amendment Weekend" says less about lawmakers' commitment to the right to bear arms and more about their inability to say "no" and their desire to get re-elected.
The idea was born in election year 2008. It should have died after the S.C. Supreme Court ruled that it was part of a law that violated the state constitution. That ruling came too late to stop last year's "Second Amendment Weekend."
But lawmakers made it a part of this year's budget, so here we go again.
A side note: The law was unconstitutional because it dealt with more than a single subject, something the state's high court has ruled on repeatedly. In fact, this particular law was passed just two days after the court had ruled against another case of "bobtailed" legislation. So once again, somebody had to sue the legislature, the legislature had to put up a defense and the state Supreme Court had to waste time ruling on it. Add to pandering the word obtuse to describe the General Assembly.
We won't argue that this weekend's sales tax holiday will cost the state too much money, although it would seem state officials could use every dollar they can get their hands on. State economic officials estimated it would cost the state about $15,000 in lost revenue.
To read the complete editorial, visit The Hilton Head Island Packet.
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