Governor Dennis Daugaard has declined to sign two concealed carry bills into law that were approved and placed on his desk from the South Dakota State Legislature in March of 2017.

House Bill 1156 would have allowed a person to carry a concealed pistol in the State Capitol building in Pierre, with an enhanced concealed pistol permit.

Daugaard says he is concerned about the limited number of training hours that a resident needs to receive an enhanced concealed carry permit, verses a trained officer:

During the legislative session, meaningful debates among the public and legislators are frequent and oftentimes passionate.  Where emotions can run high, it is important to be protected by people who are routinely trained to manage dangerous situations.  Law enforcement training focuses on knowing when to pull the trigger—and when not to.

Current security in the Capital Building is provided by the South Dakota Highway Patrol, both in uniform and undercover.

House Bill 1072  was an Act to repeal and revise certain provisions relating to permits to carry a concealed pistol.

Basically, it would have eliminated South Dakotans from being required to get a State issued permit to carry a concealed weapon, and revert to federal regulations regarding carrying.

Governor Daugaard has verbalized his opposition to the bill, citing the ease of obtaining a State issued permit, including one of his staff going through the process of application to see how cumbersome and time constraining it was.  The governor stated the employee filled out the paperwork over her lunch hour and had the permit in hand a few days later.

Daugaard also referred to the denial of nearly 600 applicants being denied a permit due to mental illness, or certain criminal history in Minnehaha and Pennington Counties over the last three years.

As a longtime member of the NRA, I support the right to bear arms.  South Dakota's current permit process is simple and straightforward, and permits can be obtained in a matter of minutes.  It is paramount that our state protect the rights of our citizens while at the same time protecting the lives of our citizens.

The South Dakota Sheriffs Association, the South Dakota Police Chiefs Association, the South Dakota State’s Attorneys Association, and the South Dakota Fraternal Order of Police were all opposed House Bill 1072.

The South Dakota Legislative body will gather again March 27 to review the Governor's vetoes and potentially vote on an override.

 


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