Editorial: Daugaard is right to veto HB 1072
Governor Dennis Daugaard has already announced he won’t support the House Bill 1072 should it reach his desk, as he should.
The bill, which would eliminate the concealed carry permit process, is scheduled for hearing in the State Senate today.
In 2015 the State of South Dakota was ranked eighth on a list of states with least restrictive gun laws, and not much has changed since.
House Bill 1072 shouldn’t be passed because the minimal and non-intrusive guns laws that exist in South Dakota are necessary to the public’s safety.
Just this fall, the state ranked third in the nation for accidental shootings involving minors.
On top of that, the process to receive a concealed carry permit in South Dakota is much easier than many other states.
“For instance, in New Jersey, a citizen cannot even own a handgun, rifle or shotgun without a permit or Firearms Purchaser Identification Card. In some states, obtaining a concealed carry permit can take months,” Daugaard said in a letter to the Argus Leader. “In Maryland and California, an individual has to prove a need to be granted a concealed carry permit.”
It’s fairly easy to get a concealed pistol permit in South Dakota.
Additionally, most people in the state agree that there should be permits for concealed carry, according to a poll commissioned by Everytown for Gun Safety.
The poll, conducted by Survey USA, said 89 percent of South Dakotans support permits for concealed carry and 83 percent support background checks on buyers before purchasing a gun.
Why would state legislatures pass a bill to take away something they know their constituents support?
Daugaard is right to speak out against the bill.
“I am proud of South Dakota’s traditions and pro-Second Amendment track record. Just as I do not support gun control measures, I cannot support bad legislation which would lead to a whole host of unintended consequences,” Daugaard said. “The laws we currently have in place are effective, appropriate and minimal.”
On this issue, the governor is spot on. This piece of hazardous legislation shouldn’t be passed.
