PIERRE (AP) – A bill that would allow people to bring guns into the state Capitol is one step away from the governor's desk after a Senate panel advanced it Wednesday to the chamber's floor.
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PIERRE (AP) – A bill that would allow people to bring guns into the state Capitol is one step away from the governor's desk after a Senate panel advanced it Wednesday to the chamber's floor.
The State Affairs Committee voted 5-4 to approve the plan, which would allow people who have an enhanced permit to bring concealed handguns into the Capitol if they register beforehand with security. The proposal has advanced farther than at least two similar bills proposed last legislative session, but Gov. Dennis Daugaard's opposition to the legislation is a steep obstacle for supporters.
The measure, which would also include qualified law enforcement officers and qualified retired officers, has already passed through the House. House Majority Leader Lee Qualm, its main sponsor, said he believes Capitol security is good.
"We are still sitting in a fishbowl, and anyone can walk here at any time with a weapon and do great harm before he is ever stopped," Qualm said.
Secretary of State Shantel Krebs also supported the measure, saying her office participated in a scenario in which they had to decide a method of self-defense if an active shooter came to the Capitol.
"Our office decided that the paper cutter and that the state flag, with the spear on top, was going to be our self-defense mechanisms," Krebs said. "We do have some enhanced permit carriers in our office, and I think that would just make me feel a little bit more comfortable so that we don't have to rely upon trying to find something within your office to defend yourself."
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. In 2016, 1,460 new enhanced permits were issued.
There are no metal detectors or other security checks at the Capitol entrances to enforce the current prohibition on most people carrying guns in the building. Republican Sen. Bob Ewing, who opposed the bill, said he's worried that approving it would likely mean metal detectors appearing in Capitol doorways.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol, which provides security, opposed the bill.
A different Senate panel voted Wednesday to approve a bill that would allow people who can legally carry a concealed handgun in South Dakota to do so without a permit.
Daugaard has said he would veto both measures if they reach his desk.
