February 15, 2010

Three pro-gun bills will be voted on within the next several days.

HB 1169, the “Parking Lot” bill will be in the House Local Government Committee on Tuesday morning, February 16th. This legislation would prohibit all employers from penalizing or harassing gun owners who keep their firearms locked in their cars on company property. As noted before, HB 1169 asserts that you have the right to carry your self-defense weapon in your car, even if your company has a policy against self-defense.

The Firearms Freedom Act (SB 89) and the Citizen Self-Defense Bill (SB 180) will both be up in the Senate State Affairs committee on Wednesday morning, February 17th.

South Dakota is joining twenty other states to introduce and pass the Firearms Freedom Act (SB 89). The bill simply states that firearms manufactured and sold in South Dakota are NOT subject to the unconstitutional restrictions pushed by the gun control zealots in Washington, D.C.

The Citizen Self-Defense bill (SB 180) will put a stop to city level gun bans. As you may remember, cities in South Dakota are exploiting a loop-hole in state law to nullify your constitutional gun rights. Sioux Falls and Rapid City have both banned self-defense on city property, and other towns are poised to follow suit. SB 180 will put a stop to this.

At this point, no anti-gun legislation has been introduced, although it is likely that the anti-gun Municipal League will try to mutate the Citizens Self-Defense Bill (SB 180) into a gun ban bill. Please take action today!


ACTION:
There are two messages that need to be sent.

The Parking Lot Bill
Please contact the members of the House Local Government Committee listed below and ask them to support HB 1169, the “Parking Lot” bill. As always, it’s OK if these Senators are not from your district. As a committee, they represent the entire state. Remember, this bill is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday morning.

Email: You can simply copy and paste the sample message below or feel free to compose your own message.

Phone: The Legislature is NOT in session today. There will be no one to answer your call.

House Local Government Committee
Rep. Jim Bolin
rep.bolin@state.sd.us

Rep. Justin Cronin
rep.cronin@state.sd.us

Rep. Blake Curd
rep.curd@state.sd.us

Rep. Dennis Feickert
rep.feickert@state.sd.us

Rep. Jason Frerichs
rep.frerichs@state.sd.us

Rep. Mark Kirkeby
rep.kirkeby@state.sd.us

Rep. Dan Lederman
rep.lederman@state.sd.us

Rep. Betty Olson
rep.olson@state.sd.us

Rep. Val Rausch
rep.rausch@state.sd.us

Rep. Fred Romkema
rep.romkema@state.sd.us

Rep. Tim Rounds
rep.rounds@state.sd.us

Rep. Darrell Solberg
rep.solberg@state.sd.us

Rep. Martha Vanderlinde
rep.vanderlinde@state.sd.us


---Sample message---

Dear Representative,

I strongly support HB 1169. I believe that it strikes a good balance between the private property rights of the employer and the right to self-defense of the employee.

Policies which prohibit firearms in vehicles on company property have a very clear chilling effect on the right to keep and bear arms. Right now, numerous people in South Dakota simply cannot carry a firearm for self-defense because they are not allowed to lock that firearm in their car while at work.

Our state laws provide for the right to self-defense, yet that right is being nullified in some cases by company policies and regulations. Nobody should have to choose between their job on the one hand, or their right to self-defense on the other.

Please vote YES on HB 1169.

Respectfully,

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The Citizen Self-Defense bill and the Firearms Freedom Act
Please contact the members of the Senate State Affairs committee listed below and ask them to support SB 180 and SB 89. Even if you’ve already contacted them about SB 89, it’s important that they hear from you again. Both bills are up for a vote on Wednesday morning.

Email: You can simply copy and paste the sample message below or feel free to compose your own message.

NOTE:
Some of you reported that your emails bounced back. This is apparently due to an error in the Capitol system. If you experience this problem again, you can click on the links below the emails and send your message via the web form.

Call the Senate Lobby at (605) 773-3821 and leave a message. A legislative page will be there between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to take your call. Your message need be no more than “Please ask Senators (insert their last names) to vote YES on SB 180 and YES on SB 89.” You can leave messages for two Senators at a time.

Senate State Affairs Committee
Sen. Russell Olson – sen.olson@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Russell Olson

Sen. Gene Abdallah - sen.abdallah@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Gene Abdallah

Sen. Larry Rhoden – sen.rhoden@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Larry Rhoden

Sen. Thomas Dempster – sen.dempster@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Thomas Dempster

Sen. Bob Gray - sen.gray@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Bob Gray

Sen. Gary Hanson - sen.hanson@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Gary Hanson

Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry – sen.turbakberry@state.sd.us
Click here to use a web page to email Sen. Nancy Turbak Berry


---Sample message---

Dear Senator,

I’m writing to ask you to support SB 180 and SB 89. Both are excellent bills.

SB 180 has been called the Citizen Self-Defense bill. It is simply designed to provide for uniform firearms laws and self-defense laws across the state.

Current state law prohibits towns and counties from passing an ordinance that restricts firearms. This is known as our preemption law. Sadly, a loop-hole in this law is being exploited to ban self-defense on city property. SB 180 closes this loop-hole and keeps anyone from trampling the right to bear arms in self-defense.

SB 89 is the Firearms Freedom Act. South Dakota joins 20 other states in introducing or passing this outstanding legislation. As you may know, SB 89 is vital legislation to protect and 2nd Amendment, along with the 9th and 10th Amendments.

Please vote YES on SB 180 and YES on SB 89.

Respectfully,

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