Thread: South Dakotans may soon be able to carry concealed handguns without a permit

South Dakotans may soon be able to carry concealed handguns without a permit

Associated Press
Published 20 hours ago

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After years of unsuccessful attempts, supporters of legislation that would allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit in South Dakota anticipate revived prospects once GOP Gov.-elect Kristi Noem takes office in January.

The legislation languished under retiring Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, but Noem in her campaign offered support for a so-called constitutional carry law. GOP state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto, who as a member of the state House of Representatives sponsored a permitless concealed carry bill that Daugaard vetoed, said such legislation is likely in the upcoming session and she's optimistic about its prospects.

"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor," said DiSanto. "I think under a new governor it's very likely to pass."

"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor. I think under a new governor [concealed carry legislation is] very likely to pass."
— South Dakota state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto

Daugaard has said the state's current gun laws are reasonable. Right now, it's a misdemeanor for someone to carry a concealed pistol or to have one concealed in a vehicle without a permit. At the end of October, there were nearly 108,000 pistol permits in South Dakota, according to the secretary of state's office.

Daugaard vetoed DiSanto's proposal in 2017 and also rejected a similar measure in 2012; constitutional carry legislation failed during the 2018 session after he issued a veto threat. Bill supporters have argued that getting a concealed pistol permit can be burdensome.

Backers are likely to get a boost from Noem, who triumphed over Democratic state Sen. Billie Sutton in the Nov. 6 election. Noem in January urged passage of a permitless carry bill.

At the time Noem didn't endorse a specific plan, though her campaign said she supported the policy "in principle." Transition team spokeswoman Kristin Wileman said in a statement this week that Noem won't commit to legislation until she can review its text, but said she's a strong 2nd Amendment supporter and thinks provisions like constitutional carry can "protect and even strengthen this right for South Dakotans."

"The governor-elect will work to find a way that law enforcement and gun-right proponents can come together around a solution," Wileman said.

Staci Ackerman, executive director of the South Dakota Sheriffs' Assn., said the group hasn't discussed 2019 legislation yet. But she said the organization supported a bill in the 2018 session that allowed permitless carry for state residents with a South Dakota driver's license or identification card; the measure didn't advance out of the Senate.

The 2019 session is scheduled to run Jan. 8 to March 29. Republicans will control both houses of the Legislature as well as the governorship.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sou...thout-a-permit

YES!! There should be no permit. None at all. There should be an age to buy, that's it, not an age to own, just an age to purchase. That's it!

I hope their law passes and other states adopt this freedom to which every American is unquestionably entitled.