March 26, 2010

It’s official. South Dakota has joined the battle against unconstitutional federal gun control. The Governor has signed the Firearms Freedom Act and it will become law on July 1st, 2010.

Congratulations to SDGO members and gun owners across the state who mobilized to support this bill. Your efforts in particular defeated an early attempt to introduce this legislation as a meaningless resolution instead of a bill with some teeth. But thanks to you, South Dakota has passed the full-fledged version.

Passing the Firearms Freedom Act is the first step in asserting South Dakota’s constitutional right to defend its citizens from the anti-gun zealots in Washington, D.C. Obama administration bureaucrats in the BATF have already announced that they refuse to recognize this clear 10th Amendment right, and our pro-gun allies in Montana are taking them to court to settle the question.

SDGO is now working to help South Dakota join this historic case with an amicus brief. While the case is being tried, it may be wise for gun owners NOT to take any action under the Firearms Freedom Act. Together with Montana and numerous other states, we’re working to turn back years of unconstitutional federal policies. An attempt to take action under the new law right now would give the BATF an excuse to crack down on an individual.

ACTION:
Please contact Attorney General Marty Jackley and ask him to join the Firearms Freedom case. AG Jackley has expressed a willingness to support gun owners in the case against the BATF, and he needs your encouragement.

Phone: You can leave a message for the Attorney General at (605) 773-3215. Your message can be as simple as “Please ask Attorney General Jackley to support the Montana Firearms Freedom case.”

Email: atghelp@state.sd.us Feel free to copy and paste the sample message below or compose your own message.


---Sample message---

Dear Attorney General Jackley,

Thank you for expressing your willingness to file an amicus brief in support of MSSA v. Holder, or the “Firearms Freedom Act” case.

I hope this vital action will defend the 10th Amendment right of every state to protect its citizens from the unconstitutional acts of the federal government.

As you are well aware, South Dakota has joined 23 other states in introducing or passing the Firearms Freedom Act. We are the fifth state to make it law, and I strongly support taking the next step and filing as an amicus party.

Please proceed as quickly as possible to file in support of MSSA v. Holder, and please let me know what you intend to do. Thank you.

Respectfully,

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Senator Rhoden sponsors Firearms Freedom Act, then helps notorious anti-gunners kill the Citizen Self-Defense bill

Sadly, the passage of the Firearms Freedom Act has been accompanied with a blatant anti-gun escapade.

Sen. Larry Rhoden did a good job this year as primary sponsor of the Firearms Freedom Act. Then he turned around and led the fight to allow every town in South Dakota to continue banning guns on city property.

SDGO worked with numerous pro-gun Legislators to introduce the 2010 Citizen Self-Defense bill (SB 180). As you may remember, towns in South Dakota are exploiting a loop-hole in state law to ban self-defense.

Current law states that towns and counties may not pass an ordinance restricting your 2nd Amendment rights. But city-level politicians and bureaucrats are enforcing a sweeping gun ban via executive order. They are outlawing self-defense in city parks, city buses, libraries and numerous other places, regardless of the concealed pistol permit. Your wife could be arrested under this city gun ban simply for defending herself from a mugger in a dark library parking lot.

The Citizen Self-Defense Bill would have closed this loop-hole, clarifying that towns can’t ban guns by any means. It’s not really a complicated issue.

Unfortunately, Sen. Rhoden chose to side with notorious anti-gunners and left-leaning Democrats and actually led them in defeating the Citizen Self-Defense Bill.

Final action on the “parking lot” bill
In our last alert, SDGO informed you that the “parking lot” bill had been revived. As you may remember, this legislation prohibited employers from penalizing or harassing gun owners who keep their firearms locked in their cars on company property. The bill had been brought back as SB 79. Unfortunately, this second attempt also succumbed to opposition from left-leaning Republicans in the House of Representatives. SB 79 was defeated in caucus and was never brought to a vote.