Press "Enter" to skip to content

Governor Will Veto More Guns in Capitol, Looser Concealed Carry Rules

It’s hard to find a Republican willing to stand up to gun nuttery in Pierre.

Fortunately, one Republican willing to take such a stand is the biggest Republican in Pierre:

Governor Dennis Daugaard is also weighing in on the discussion. Thursday, he announced that if the bill passes through the state senate, he will veto it.

“I think like a courtroom, the capitol is sometimes a good place where emotions run high and I think it’s good for people who are trained, repetitiously trained on managing dangerous situations like that should be the ones that protect us,” Daugaard said.

Another issue talked about revolves around “constitutional carry” bills. Those proposed laws would let people carry concealed guns without a permit. Daugaard says he would veto that bill as well.

“My belief is South Dakota has reasonable gun laws today with regard to owning guns. Some states are much more restrictive,” Daugaard said [Leland Steva, “Daugaard Threatens Veto of Potential Concealed Gun Bills,” KELO-TV, 2017.02.09].

One of those veto-worthy bills, House Bill 1156, which would allow enhanced permit holders to carry concealed firearms in the Capitol, passed the House 46–20 Wednesday. I agree fervently with the Governor: the Capitol, our Temple of Democracy, built on the foundation of our faith in reasoned discourse over force, is no place for firearms.

SD Legislators as cowboys with guns at saloon
Not what we elected our legislators for…

Practically speaking, the Capitol already has armed security and surveillance. The last newsworthy incident of violent crime in the building took place over 40 years ago, when the Legislature was not in session. Whatever the legislators backing guns in the Capitol are afraid of, it’s not grounded in fact.

HB 1156 is one of ten pending bills* seeking to ease the rules on carrying concealed firearms in South Dakota. The Legislature has two bills pending** to increase funding for education. It has no bills pending to make it easier for citizens to petition or vote.

*HB 1072, HB 1091, HB 1127, HB 1147, HB 1154 (allowing certain felons to apply for concealed carry permits), HB 1156, HB 1194, HB 1211, SB 94, and SB 144.

**SB 33 and SB 35.

17 Comments

  1. Roger Elgersma 2017-02-10 12:36

    If it is not broke don’t fix it. But the Republicans are so silent about real problems that we do not even know if there is a problem. Keep the people blind policy.

  2. Kim Conlin 2017-02-10 14:52

    Rep. Larry Rhoden’s stupid childish “Stunt” in committee this week shows the outright paranoia rampant among the oligarchy in Pierre! Aw, shucks, why NOT make it more unpleasant to actually arrange time off to drive 4 hours to voice an opinion to some of this nonsense. I thought Betty “Bang Bang Clocks” Olsen was gone! Yes, I believe in the 2nd amendment. I choose not to own firearms. I have great respect for those who do.

  3. grudznick 2017-02-10 21:35

    Did you fellows know that almost all of the Rhoden Rhangers were packing during the campaign when Mr. Nelson got beat back to 3rd? It was highly encouraged by some.

  4. Adam 2017-02-11 03:28

    Larry Rhoden and Tom Brunner make South Dakota look absolutely crazy… And I will have you all know that Meade County isn’t full of crazy people.

    Most Meade Co. voters have never even heard the names Rhoden or Brunner, but since they’ve got the (R) next to their name on the ballot… well… there are no other options for these voters.

  5. Adam 2017-02-11 03:32

    Is Larry a Senator or Representative, right now? The guy never goes away – a career state politician.

    How many years does a guy have to serve before I can calll him a career state politician?

    Beyond that – to hell with Larry Rhoden and his continuous stream of salty BS.

  6. Adam 2017-02-11 03:39

    Trumpy Larry thinks he needs a gun during legislative session – what an absolute pussy!

  7. grudznick 2017-02-11 09:21

    Mr. Rhoden may be a bit salty but I have found him to be very polite unless you cross him with something insaner than most. He does have good cowboy stories and common sense yarns.

  8. John W. 2017-02-11 10:56

    grudz: Cowboy stories are a far cry from sound, reasoned, Constitutional, well understood arguments. We left the gunslinger days not long before WW I for good reasons and failure to recognize the obvious isn’t among them. Common sense? Albert Einstein recognized that theory for what it honestly is: common sense is actually nothing more than a deposit (a crusty one at that) of prejudices laid down in the mind prior to the age of eighteen. Every new idea one encounters in later years must combat this accretion of “self-evident” concepts. We’ve got far to many self declared Constitutional experts standing on their soap box promoting half baked notions on gun rights and propagandizing that the 2nd Amendment language is absolute………. If that were the case, Concealed carry laws and all other gun restrictions imposed by the several states would have been declared unconstitutional two decades ago. Maybe you can explain why the NRA or perhaps South Dakota gun owners haven’t taken the matter to Court and got concealed carry thrown out! The DiSanto bill is nothing more that theoretical hogwash.

  9. Porter Lansing 2017-02-11 11:48

    Hear, Hear Mr. John W … So many in SoDak, being void of any new ideas past the age of 18, are forever mired in the mud puddle of prejudices they inherited from equally unimaginative parents, aunts and uncles.

  10. Chip 2017-02-11 12:04

    Good for DD. I didn’t think Republicans possessed brains.

  11. Roger Cornelius 2017-02-11 12:38

    grudz’s definition of common sense is probably insaner than most.
    People that claim to have common sense these days actually mean that you must see any argument their way.

  12. Adam 2017-02-11 13:09

    When Larry Roden pushed the panic button, in our state capital, it was a false alarm; and he should’ve been penalized worse than anyone else for pulling a fire alarm when there is no fire.

    I’m talking penalty of law.

    When he pushed that button, it was not only a waste of Law Enforcement’s time and resources but a waste of taxpayers dollars as well – and he should be fined and penalized like anyone else – for pulling such a stupid stunt!

  13. mike from iowa 2017-02-11 13:17

    If kids in Wyoming are afforded protection from grizzly bears, the least you can do for the kids in the lege is smear them with honey and turn the bears loo….. let them have guns fer protection, too.

    Guns shall not be permitted for black bears, tatonkas, wolves, mangy coyotes, rabid skunks and lobbyists. Nor for any dangerous African game animals. Silwane, Inyati, Ingwe, Tembo, Ubhejane and Ngwenyas.,

  14. grudznick 2017-02-11 17:57

    Larry Rhoden sleeps with a pillow under his gun.

  15. grudznick 2017-02-11 17:59

    When Larry Rhoden enters a room, he doesn’t turn the lights on, he turns the dark off.

  16. barry freed 2017-02-14 09:39

    John W
    Einstein was describing how those applying common sense to his Theory of Relativity were hamstrung by their own prejudices… just as some opinions here, when it comes to self defense or self medication Rights. On DFP, we see these sophomoric prejudices of which Einstein refers manifest in the form of Cyber Bullying, lying, omission of facts (again lying), alternative facts (i.e. Einstein quotes), and name calling. It works though, Porter Lansing walked around all day quoting Einstein and pretending he was a smart boy. Then the Organ Grinder caught him and fun time was over.

    But Einstein was wrong, John, as is your misrepresentation of his quote. Physics IS, because it has to BE. Like Truth, there is no other possibility. Common sense has little to do with proving scientific theory other than revealing what should have been obvious all along. It takes time for us to iron out the wrinkles and see the whole piece of cloth.

  17. Porter Lansing 2017-02-14 10:20

    Mr. Freed … Thanks for letting us know the following:
    1. Einstein was wrong.
    2. You can see and hear what I’m quoting from 350 miles away.
    3. There are no variables involved in truth.
    You one genius, Barry … at grinding your organ.
    PS … Bạn là một thằng ngốc chết tiệt.

Comments are closed.