HB 1247 Would Restore Your Right to Self-Defense

South Dakota Gun Owners E-mail Alert
PO Box 3845, Rapid City, SD 57709
(605) 737-5583
LibertyTeeth@sdgo.org http://www.SDGO.org

(Thursday, February 5, 2004) – Current South Dakota law denies your right to arms by severely limiting your ability to carry a handgun for self-defense in any vehicle.

Only by securing a government permit can you legally defend yourself while in your car. If you carry a loaded, accessible handgun in any vehicle without a concealed pistol permit, you may be found guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by a year in jail and a $1000 fine.

This draconian penalty not only tramples the Second Amendment, it actually encourages crime by discouraging law-abiding citizens from carrying a handgun for self-defense.

The state of Vermont has proven that recognizing the right of the people to bear arms decreases crime. In Vermont, resident and non-resident alike may legally carry a handgun, openly or concealed, without a permit. Predictably, Vermont’s violent crime rate is even lower than South Dakota’s.

South Dakota Gun Owners has been working with pro-gun Legislators to pass HB 1247, the Right to Arms in Vehicles bill.

Action:

Please call and leave a message for as many of the following House State Affairs committee members as possible. Because they are meeting as a committee, each of them represents you, even though he or she may not be from your District.

Tell them: Please vote YES on HB 1247.

You can leave a message for two at a time at the Capitol. The number is 605-773-3851. If you can’t get through at the Capitol, you can also leave a message at their home phone numbers listed below.

Immediate action is imperative! HB 1247 will be brought to a vote at about 10:30 am on Saturday, Feb. 7.

House State Affairs Committee

Rep. Larry Rhoden 605-985-5461

Rep. Cooper Garnos 605-895-2414

Rep. John Teupel 605-642-7558

Rep. Hal Wick 605-332-1360

Rep. Larry Frost 605-225-4546

Rep. Gary Hanson 605-698-7964

Rep. Mel Olson 605-996-1082

Rep. Ben Nesselhuf 605-624-6178

Rep. Chris Madsen 605-274-2184

Rep. Matthew Michels 605-665-0366

Rep. Jean Hunhoff 605-665-1463

Rep. Bill Peterson 605-371-1668

Rep. Dale Hargens 605-853-2142

There is a popular misconception that as long as the handgun is on the dash or the seat of the car, it is legal even without a permit. But Capt. Bill Armstrong with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Department has stated that if a handgun is in any vehicle, it is considered concealed by his department, and is therefore illegal without a concealed pistol permit.

According to Capt. Armstrong, the only way to carry a handgun in a vehicle without a permit is to unload it and place it in a closed container too large to be concealed on your person.

Please take immediate action to repeal this entangling infringement of the right to bear arms by urging the passage of HB 1247.

“Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and the keystone of independence.” – George Washington

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