South Dakota: 2019 Legislative Session Ends with Strong Pro-Gun Victories

On March 29, the South Dakota Legislature adjourned from its 2019 Legislative Session.  This year saw multiple important victories for law-abiding gun owners in South Dakota.  Those victories include the signing of two pro-gun bills by Governor Kristi Noem that protect the rights of law-abiding individuals to carry a firearm for self-defense.  Those bills are outlined below:

Senate Bill 47 removed the requirement to obtain a permit in order to lawfully carry a firearm for self-defense. This legislation gives South Dakotans the freedom to choose the best method of carrying for them, based on their attire, and/or physical attributes.  SB 47 also kept in place the current permitting system so that people who obtain a permit could still enjoy the reciprocity agreements that South Dakota has with other states.

House Bill 1056, Enhanced Preemption Legislation, was introduced in response to the attempts by multiple local municipalities to enact their own gun control through local ordinances or resolutions.  These types of unnecessary anti-gun measures attempt to go beyond state law by imposing further burdens on law-abiding gun owners in South Dakota.  House Bill 1056 enhances South Dakota’s current preemption laws by further restricting the ability of local municipalities to enact a complex patchwork of gun laws throughout the state.

Thank you to NRA Members and Second Amendment supporters who contacted their lawmakers in support of these measures. Also, thank you to Governor Noem and those legislators who voted in support of the above described pro-gun bills.