At the April 15, 2025, Greenville County Council meeting, Councilman Benton Blount had a clear opportunity to demonstrate leadership, respect for constitutional rights, and fidelity to South Carolina law. So did Councilman Rick Bradley.
Instead, both joined with Democrats Ennis Fant and Alan Mitchell, along with progressive Councilwoman Liz Seman, to vote against an ordinance that would have brought Greenville County into compliance with state law by removing illegal prohibition signs.
The issue before Council was not complex: whether to comply with South Carolina Code § 23-31-235, which outlines specific legal requirements for firearms signage on public property—including size, wording, and placement. Councilman Steve Shaw introduced an ordinance that would have aligned the County’s practices with state law. The ordinance did not seek to expand where firearms could be carried, nor did it change who could carry. It simply aimed to correct signage that had been posted without legal authority and in violation of existing law.
The most recent South Carolina Attorney General opinion—OS-10999, issued June 17, 2024—was even included in the recitals of the ordinance, underscoring its grounding in settled law. Yet despite this, Councilmen Blount and Bradley voted against the measure, killing it with a tie vote and obstructing even this basic step toward legal compliance.
The ordinance had become necessary after it was revealed that certain Greenville County employees had unilaterally posted “No Firearms” signs at county landfills and convenience centers. These signs were not authorized by Council. Employees justified the postings on the basis that it “felt safer” and that banning lawful carry would “make the grounds safer”—despite no legal basis for such claims under state law.
Similarly, Greenville County Parks and Recreation implemented a policy requiring a concealed weapons permit to carry in county parks, including along the Swamp Rabbit Trail, despite the new constitutional carry law that effectively did away with the permit requirement.
These actions were taken despite repeated Attorney General opinions and court rulings affirming that counties may not adopt such restrictions. Even so, the County Administrator and Solid Waste Director chose to back the employees rather than uphold the law.
This is part of a broader pattern seen across the state, where bureaucratic policies are used to erode rights without legislative authority. The South Carolina Attorney General has made clear—through multiple formal opinions—that state law preempts local ordinances regulating the possession and carry of firearms. Relevant opinions include: OS-9934 (September 30, 2014), OS-9934 (July 20, 2015), OS-10411 (December 2, 2019), OS-10789 (November 19, 2020), OS-10675 (August 3, 2021), and OS-10999 (June 17, 2024). These opinions consistently uphold the principle that local governments cannot override state law when it comes to your right to keep and bear arms.
Councilman Shaw, in bringing the ordinance forward, sought only to ensure that Greenville County was obeying the law, so that our right to keep and bear arms in these public places was not infringed.
He worked with the County Attorney, who not only co-wrote the ordinance but affirmed during the meeting that he was comfortable with its legality. Councilwoman Seman even asked the County Attorney directly whether the ordinance was appropriate, and he assured her that it was.
Nevertheless, when it came time to vote, Shaw was joined only by Councilmen Joey Russo, Frank Farmer, and newly elected conservatives Garey Collins and Kelly Long. Councilmen Blount and Bradley—who campaign as conservatives and 2nd Amendment supporters—abandoned that principle and instead sided with those intent on preserving unlawful restrictions.
That raises serious questions. If Blount and Bradley are unwilling to support an ordinance that merely enforces existing state law and affirms the right to carry where it is already legal, what do they really believe about the Second Amendment? Their opposition aligned with vague concerns about employee “comfort” and hypothetical risks, rather than the clear text of state law or the Constitution. But no sign has ever stopped a criminal, and no unlawful policy should be used to burden the rights of lawful citizens.
In the end,Councilman Shaw found another way. With persistence and collaboration, he worked directly with the County Administrator to ensure that the unlawful signage was removed and the policies rescinded. His commitment to the rule of law and to the Second Amendment deserves credit—not for political grandstanding, but for seeing the matter through with resolve and respect for legal order.
Meanwhile, Councilmen Blount and Bradley did nothing to fix the problem. They interfered, delayed, and ultimately blocked compliance with the law. Ironically, despite the plethora of opinions on this subject (listed in part above), Councilman Blount insisted on requesting an opinion from the Attorney General on this very same issue!
No, they had a chance to do the right thing and they refused.
Bottom line: we need Council members who will stand up for your rights—not surrender them to unelected staff, emotion-based policies, or vague fears. Greenville County deserves leaders who will uphold the law, respect the Constitution, and protect citizens from bureaucratic overreach. Councilmen Blount and Bradley had a chance to be those leaders—and they failed.
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Letter to the Editor by Roy F Harmon III, Board Member & General Counsel, South Carolina Carry, Inc.
