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Noem Signs Unnecessary Guns-in-Capitol Bill

Last updated on 2019-03-20

In another error, Governor Kristi Noem this morning signed Senate Bill 115, a measure approved by Legislative cowards who think they need to carry guns in the Capitol to scare off the bogeymen of their own insecurities.

Governor Noem admits that allowing 4,800 special permit holders to carry guns in The People’s House is entirely unnecessary, because, “The State Capitol is already a safe place thanks to the dedicated men and women of our Highway Patrol.” She then commits the error of suggesting that letting civilians carry guns in the Capitol is fine, because the Capitol is no place special:

With this law in place, law-abiding citizens with the proper permit will be able to carry in the Capitol, just like they can in so many other places [Gov. Kristi Noem, press release, 2019.03.19].

The South Dakota State Capitol is not just like any other place where we let people tote their peashooters in their pants. The South Dakota State Capitol is our sacred temple of the rule of law. It house all three branches of our government. It stands as a monument to our ability to resolve our differences through reason rather than force. Carrying guns in that building is not simply unnecessary; carrying guns in the Capitol expresses a lack of faith in, if not outright contempt for, our greatest public institutions.

p.s.: Curiously, SB 115 only authorizes the carrying of concealed pistols by enhance-permit holders. I assume this means that if any of those carriers display or brandish their weapons in the Capitol, they will face prosecution for a Class 1 misdemeanor. Alas—if I were to take advantage of this law, I would only carry my pistol into the Capitol openly.

35 Comments

  1. Not only is an enhanced carry permit required, the permit holder is required to notify authorities at least 24 hours in advance that they intend to carry a firearm inside the Capitol *and* how long they intend to do so. There’s a lot to dislike in the legislation, but I’m surprised that the “gun nuts” accepted such strict limitations on their Constitutional liberties.

  2. mike from iowa

    Next up expectant mothers to be shall be forced to open carry their fetus so everyone can know they are preggers and anyone can report them if a fetus goes missing via abortion/miscarriage, etc.

    Wingnuts are going to shame women into becoming unwilling mothers if it is the last thing a wingnut ever does.

  3. mike from iowa

    Any clews as to which holster/man killing appurtenance goes well with fetus motif?

  4. I’m still curious: can a special-permit holder give the notice required under SB 115, then arrive at the Capitol and stroll around the Rotunda and the galleries with her gun on her hip, in the open?

  5. In related news from the more sensible part of America, legislators in Maryland killed a bill that would have armed city cops in schools:

    …Del. Brooke Lierman argued that there’s little evidence that arming school police officers inside buildings would make children safer. Rather, she said, a shootout between a gunman and police could lead to more deaths or injuries.

    “There’s no data to demonstrate that having an armed guard or armed police officer in a school building deters active shooter situations or makes people safer,” Lierman said [Luke Broadwater, “Should School Police Be Armed? Baltimore Delegates Say No,” Tribune News Service via Governing, 2019.03.19].

    This July 2018 report from the Congressional Research Service notes that our fears of school shootings are out of proportion to the danger our kids actually face. In the 2014-2015 school year, 1,168 children age 5–18 were murdered. Only 20 of those murders happened at school.

    Translation: less than 2% of child murders happen in a place where children spend over 14% of the year.

  6. John

    Certainly the SD Supreme Court, with chambers, offices, and a court room in the capitol, are DELIGHTED with NOem’s nonsense.

  7. Micky

    Greasy governor Krisco and her fellow paranoid teabaggers need to be packing heat in arguably the most secure building in South Dakota. After all, they have to be eternally vigilant that George Soros and ZOG aren’t planning an attack. Pray for our white power princess and her fellow super patriots that KXL protesters or those Sharia observing Muslims or hemp loving farmers don’t find their way to Pierre. Even girl scouts selling cookies can seem dangerous when you’re afraid of your own shadow. What a bunch of wusses.

  8. T

    Our county charges $10 to process permit
    When we go in to get conceal carry
    I do t know percentage we get to keep
    But even if it all goes to state
    4800 times $10 is a chunk of change for
    Teachers if no one else needs it (sarcasm )

  9. T

    It appears I misread
    The article
    No one will notify when carrying concealed
    Cut me some slack with my eyesight
    Reading this on iPhone and help me out with the penalty for not getting permission

    Does one loose conceal license if caught!
    This is ridiculous time waster
    To govern when we have disaster going in with all snow and flooding

  10. Debbo

    There are no restrictions to openly carrying a weapon, right?

  11. Robin Friday

    When I walk into the Capitol building I expect to feel that the only people carrying guns are the security people. I don’t know where the gun people get the idea that everyone carrying guns makes people feel safe. It does exactly the opposite.

  12. 96Tears

    Twit!

  13. Roger Cornelius

    So, let me get this right, you must call the sheriff to tell him you are going to carry a gun into the capitol, shoot someone and call the sheriff when you are done.
    Is that about right?

  14. Debbo

    I want PM Jacinda Ardhern to come be our president and bring her sanity to our stupid gun laws. New Zealand doesn’t even have to take Frantic Flaccid Fool in trade.

    I’ve tried to get Macron and Trudeau, but no luck. Ardhern seems to be the cream of the crop anyway.

  15. Jason

    Why would someone not expect a person to break the law and carry a gun into the Capitol and start shooting?

  16. …because in the entire history of South Dakota, the hypothetical event Jason describes has never happened. There are far greater dangers to address, and there are far greater risks created by allowing more guns in the building.

  17. Debbo, that’s what I’m hoping to get clear on. Section 2 of SB 115 adds “the state capitol” to this provision: “22-14-23. Except as provided in § 22-14-24, any person who knowingly possesses or causes to be present any firearm or other dangerous weapon, in any county courthouse or in the state capitol, or attempts to do so, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.” In adding to the exceptions of § 22-14-24, Section 3 allows “the possession of a concealed pistol” by enhance-permit holders who call ahead at least 24 hours.

    The wording of the law appears to except only concealed pistols. If I see the gun, the carrier is in violation of the law. If we can any of those carriers to draw, we can send them to jail.

  18. Jason

    As a Scout I learned to be prepared and expect the unexpected.

  19. mike from iowa

    Does using the word pistol disqualify all revolvers? They are very different.

  20. Donald Pay

    Jason loved to sell those cookies while she was packing.

  21. Dana P

    So was this the “hey guys, if you don’t override my veto on hemp, I’ll give you your guns in the capitol” compromise?

  22. Roger Cornelius

    I remember those good ole scouting days, Tenderfoots packing heat on the nature trail.

  23. Jenny

    It’s good to live in SD if one is an ammosexual.

  24. Debbo

    Got some 😄😄😄 from these comments. Thanks.

    BTW, 43° and sunny in my neighborhood today. Sweeeeet.

  25. happy camper

    She also signed into law: Every public school will be required to prominently display the national motto, “In God We Trust,” beginning in the 2019-20 school year a display easily readable no smaller than 12 inches tall and 12 inches wide.

    What appalling ignorance especially in a school they’d have us down on our hands and knees if they could get away with it.

  26. leslie

    Have you seen the t-shirt Late Show’s Seth Myers promotes? Depicts Putin trump nunes? Add Kristi and Dangerous Kentucky governor and buddy of dennis duagaard, matt bevins. Lordy! So far it is not on the net, but it is truly provocative and devastating.

  27. mike from iowa

    Took progressive New Zealand exactly one mass murder to ban assault weapons. Good old USA is still stumbling around with cause and effect.

  28. I love Scouting. More kids should do Scouting.

    But Scouting’s greatness doesn’t mean we should let you build a campfire in the middle of the Rotunda.

  29. Jason

    Scouting’s greatness does mean you will have a fire extinguisher in case someone wants to.

  30. Jason

    How do people on this board feel about one person deciding a semi-automatic gun is now illegal in NZ?

    Do you even know the attack was done by an Australian?

  31. Roger Cornelius

    I seriously don’t remember packing a fire extinguisher around when I was a Boy Scout.

  32. Jason

    I had a shovel.

  33. Roger Cornelius

    Keep digging

  34. Debbo

    Roger, thanks for the 😃😃😃.

    “Keep digging.”

  35. leslie

    Six days.

    Newzealand.

    Female president.

    No more NRA. No more Russian sex agents lecturing young republicans in the Black Hills. Indoctrinating campaign event. No more senate trips to Russia.

    Six days.

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