Or, perhaps there has been talk behind the scenes that you are not aware of, and he is being proactive in order to prevent something worse from coming up later. With no restrictions in place currently, it may be that SC is vulnerable to those trying to legislate a total ban. With sensible restrictions already in place, it will not look like there is any need for a ban in the future.

Also, the reptile community looks rather foolish if it stands up and says that absolutely anyone should be able to go into a store and purchase a 20 foot snake, without regard to whether or not they know what to do with it. Ignoring the fact that this is a potentially dangerous animal makes the community look reckless.