Gun bill backers to keep pushing

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PIERRE (AP) – A bid to let people carry concealed handguns without a permit fell short during the 2017 legislative session in heavily conservative South Dakota, but supporters said Tuesday that its passage is only a matter of time.

House lawmakers failed Monday to muster enough support to overcome a veto from Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who won't run again in 2018 because of term limits. Daugaard has said the state's current gun laws are reasonable.

Rep. Lynne DiSanto, the bill's main sponsor, said that she intends to return next session – Daugaard's last – with a permitless concealed carry proposal. Daugaard's chief of staff, Tony Venhuizen, said in an email that the governor has "concerns with the concept," but will wait to commit to opposing a bill filed next session until he can see it.

"Worst case scenario, we wait, and we get it through with our next governor," said DiSanto, a Republican from Box Elder.

Two high-profile Republicans planning 2018 bids for governor, U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley, have expressed support for such legislation.

"I take the Second Amendment seriously and believe provisions, like constitutional carry, can help to protect and even strengthen this right for South Dakotans," Noem said in a statement.

Jackley said that he supports concealed carry laws that offer greater flexibility for law-abiding citizens and include stronger enforcement safeguards to improve public safety. Those safeguards include addressing people convicted of violent and drug crimes and those suffering from mental illness, Jackley said.

Right now, it's a misdemeanor for someone to carry a concealed pistol or to have one concealed in a vehicle without a permit. At the end of February, there were 92,850 active regular and enhanced permits in South Dakota, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Northern State University political science professor Jon Schaff said that South Dakota is a "strong pro-gun state" amenable to this type of change and as other states pass such legislation, it builds momentum in that direction.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum recently signed legislation that will allow most adults to carry a hidden firearm without a permit, making it one of about a dozen "constitutional carry" states.

The South Dakota Legislature is going to get more pro-gun in the next election, and there are no major candidates yet for governor who oppose such legislation, said Zach Lautenschlager, a vice president at the National Association for Gun Rights.

The organization claims about 18,000 members in South Dakota together with its state affiliate, South Dakota Gun Owners.

"I think the handwriting's on the wall," Lautenschlager said. "This bill is going to pass. It's just a question of who wants to stand in the way and suffer for it."