Update: Important Gun Rights Vote on Wednesday
Legislation recognizing the right to self-defense in committee on Wednesday, Jan. 30
South Dakota Gun Owners Email Alert Network
PO Box 3845 Rapid City, SD 57709
605.221.5766
January 28, 2008
The right to carry on campus bill (HB 1261) will be brought to a vote in the House State Affairs committee on the morning of Wednesday, January 30th.
Colleges all across South Dakota are banning guns via school policy. Statistics clearly demonstrate that such “gun free” zone policies actually encourage mass shootings like the Virginia Tech Massacre.
HB 1261 will help protect South Dakota colleges from this kind of horrific tragedy. If passed, this vital legislation will simply allow adults who can legally carry anywhere else in the state to carry on campus.
The anti-gun bill that would make it a crime to defend yourself with a gun on any state college campus (HB 1086) will also be heard in committee on Wednesday the 30th. See below for background on this issue.
Action:
Now is the time to contact the State Affairs committee members below if you have not already done so. Let them know that you strongly support HB 1261 are opposed to HB 1086.
Pro-gun Rep. Tom Brunner is the primary House sponsor of HB 1261 and is working with SDGO and staunch gun rights supporter Sen. Dennis Schmidt to recognize the right to carry on campus.
Representatives Joni Cutler and Larry Rhoden have also co-sponsored HB 1261. If you communicate with them, be sure to thank them and encourage them to continue supporting the right to arms.
Email: You can simply copy and paste the sample message below or feel free to compose your own message. Please email each legislator separately. You can send the same message to each one.
Phone: Call the House Lobby at (605) 773-3851 and leave a message. A legislative page will be there on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to take your call. You can leave messages for any two legislators at a time. Your message need be no more than “Please ask Representatives (insert their last names) to vote YES on HB 1261 and NO on HB 1086.”
House State Affairs Committee
Rep. Garry Moore - sen.moore@state.sd.us
Rep. Tim Rave - trave@alliancecom.net
Rep. Larry Rhoden - lrhoden@gwtc.net
Rep. Charles Turbiville - chuck@deadwood.org
Rep. Margaret Gillespie - rep.gillespie@state.sd.us
Rep. Dale Hargens - dehargens@hur.midco.net
Rep. Shantel Krebs - info@theredshoe.com
Rep. Kathy Miles - kmiles610@yahoo.com
Rep. Joni Cutler - rep.cutler@state.sd.us
Rep. Thomas Deadrick - rep.deadrick@state.sd.us
Rep. Joel Dykstra - j.dykstra@mac.com
Rep. Bob Faehn - rep.faehn@state.sd.us
Rep. Thomas Brunner - rep.brunner@state.sd.us
---Sample message---
Dear Representative,
I oppose the current patchwork of so-called “gun free” zone policies on state college campuses throughout South Dakota. I am also strongly opposed to HB 1086, which would force state colleges to become “gun free” zones. In reality, a “gun free” zone simply means that the law-abiding can’t defend themselves from armed criminals.
Why should a person have less freedom and safety than anyone else simply because he or she goes to college? If a person is responsible enough to cast a vote, fight a war, own a gun, carry a gun and exercise every other right of citizenship that every other adult citizen enjoys, then why should he or she be disarmed and defenseless at institutions of higher learning?
“Gun free” zone signs don’t stop armed criminals. Turning South Dakota state colleges into “gun free” zones via state law or school policy simply invites another horrific massacre.
Rep. Tom Brunner has introduced HB 1261 to recognize the right to self-defense on college campuses. If it is passed, HB 1261 will simply allow adults who can legally carry anywhere else in the state to carry on campus. Statistics clearly demonstrate that the right to carry is a strong deterrent to mass shootings. HB 1261 will help protect South Dakota colleges from a Virginia Tech-style massacre.
Please vote YES on HB 1261 and NO on HB 1086. South Dakota Gun Owners will keep me informed on how you vote.
Respectfully,
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Background:
Grassroots action from gun owners like you has done a great job stopping the campus gun ban bill (HB 1086).
This legislation would turn every college campus in South Dakota into a so-called “gun free” zone, where the law-abiding can’t defend themselves from armed criminals. Thanks to your calls and emails, HB 1086 has stalled in the House State Affairs committee.
But stopping HB 1086 hasn’t stopped South Dakota colleges from banning guns. Even though state law doesn’t deal with firearms on campus, state colleges have taken it on themselves to turn their campuses into “gun free” zones via school policy.
South Dakota Gun Owners has introduced House Bill 1261 to remove this patchwork of “gun free” zones. HB 1261 recognizes the right to bear arms in self-defense on every state college campus in the state. If it is passed, HB 1261 will simply allow adults who can legally carry anywhere else in the state to carry on campus.
For more on the “gun free” zones issue, click here.