Right to Self-defense bill and CCW in parks bill pass today
South Dakota Gun Owners E-mail
Alert
PO Box 3845, Rapid City, SD 57709
(605) 737-5583
LibertyTeeth@sdgo.org
http://www.SDGO.org
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Hats off to each of you who took action over the past several weeks! Thanks to the hard work of gun owners like you, two pro-gun bills passed the Legislature today.
HB 1173, the CCW in parks bill, passed the Senate, 43-0. It will limit the authority of state agencies to promulgate rules restricting concealed carry by pistol permit holders. Current administrative rules outlaw carrying a handgun for self-defense in any South Dakota state park, campground, lakeside or recreational area. Not even folks who have a permit are currently allowed to carry in over 100,000 acres of public land spread out over 120 different locations around the state. HB 1173 works hand-in-hand with the effort to change this rule.
The final version of the Right to Self-defense bill (HB 1134) was passed by the House, 43-27. Many will remember that the bill was weakened before it passed the House, but returned to its original form in the Senate. Today the House agreed to the Senate version. Its passage is a testimony to the effectiveness of your grassroots action.
HB 1134 will establish that you do not have a duty to retreat from any place you have a right to be. It clarifies that you may meet force with force if you or any family member is threatened, and clearly spells out that you may come to the aid of any other person who is threatened with bodily injury. The bill will also maintain your right to use force to defend your property.
Both bills must now be signed by the Governor.
Action
Please contact the Governor’s office and ask him to support your right to arms and to self-defense by signing these two bills. Your message can be as simple as “Please support HB 1173 and HB 1134.”
Governor Mike Rounds
Phone: 605.773.3212
Email form: http://www.state.sd.us/governor/Main/forms/RequestForm.asp
HB 1199 in committee tomorrow
For several years, the names of people who apply for a concealed pistol permit have been published by at least one major newspaper in South Dakota. In some ways, this is similar to the way sex offenders are treated in the Sex Offender Registry.
House Bill 1199 would prohibit the release of information concerning applicants or holders of permits to carry a concealed pistol. This would keep newspapers from publishing lists that paint gun owners as dangerous simply because they want to legally carry a handgun for self-defense. You can read the bill here.
Action:
HB 1199 will be before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow morning. To voice your support, email the committee members listed below. Your message need be no more than “Please vote YES on HB 1199” in the subject line.
Senate Judiciary Committee
(Click on name to view contact info)