A plan to let South Dakota school districts allow one person to be armed during school hours will have more hurdles to clear if it's approved by a committee this week.

It's a reaction to incidents like the elementary school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, in December--the event that seems to be the real catalyst for discussions in South Dakota and so many other states.

If the bill is approved by the House Education Committee, it would still have to be approved in the House, followed by a Senate committee and then the full Senate, before being sent to Governor Dennis Daugaard for his signature.

And we've seen before that legislative approval, and the Governor's signature, don't mean that's the final word.

It's happened before, in fact just last November, where voters were asked to decide whether a new law should stand.

There were arguments for and against the idea this week in the House Education Committee, including from the supporters who favor local control and opponents who voiced concerns about making sure those who are packing can keep the weapons safe and out of the hands of students.

It goes without saying that the school environment now is nothing at all like what I experienced in the mid-to-late 1960s. It was common for guys I went to school with to keep a shotgun (disassembled) in the car or pickup, especially during pheasant season.

The point I'm getting to is that a lot of serious thought is needed when potential laws are being considered, and One favorable vote doesn't mean the bill will sail through.

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