Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight
South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed bills into law Monday that allow concealed pistols in bars and on public college campuses, among other gun rights-related changes.
“One of my favorite things about South Dakota is how much we respect freedom — especially our Second Amendment freedom,” Rhoden said during a bill-signing ceremony at Boyds Gunstocks in Mitchell.
One bill allows people with an enhanced concealed-carry permit, or a reciprocal permit from another state, to carry concealed pistols on state university and technical college campuses. Requirements for an enhanced permit include a background check and completion of a handgun course. Types of enhanced permits are available to people as young as 18.
Pistols and ammunition must be stored in a locked case or safe when not being carried. Institutions may restrict firearms and ammunition in air-quality-controlled labs, locations requiring a security clearance, special events with metal detectors and armed security, and labs with flammable liquids, dangerous chemicals and hazardous gases.
The bill received few no votes but was the subject of impassioned testimony, including from Rep. Jim Halverson, R-Winner, a former state trooper who expressed concerns to his House colleagues about gun safety amid teenagers.
“A locked box in a dorm room just doesn’t seem like a good plan,” Halverson said.
Another bill prevents local governments from adopting any policy that restricts the concealed carry of firearms by their employees, officers and volunteers. It applies to government buildings, facilities and vehicles.
The portion of that bill that received the most pushback from opponents was a last-minute addition repealing a section of state law that bans concealed carry in bars.
“It’s unfortunate that this change didn’t even get a committee hearing,” said Nathan Sanderson of the South Dakota Retailers Association, in response to South Dakota Searchlight questions. “Small business owners deserved the opportunity to share how this law would impact them.”
Rhoden said the concerns raised about the bills are the same ones raised in the recent past about “constitutional carry,” which allows people to carry a concealed handgun without a permit. Rhoden’s predecessor, Kristi Noem, signed that bill into law in 2019.
“There was a lot of wringing of the hands and speculation about what could happen with constitutional carry,” Rhoden said. “None of that proved to be true.”
A report from the state Department of Health shows gun deaths in South Dakota increased three years in a row after constitutional carry became law, rising to a high of 138 in 2022 before falling to 112 in 2023, the most recent year of available data. Suicide was the most common manner of firearm deaths each year.
Lastly, Rhoden signed a bill allowing concealed carry permit holders to keep their pistols inside a motor vehicle while on school property.
Rhoden additionally said Monday that he sent a letter to the U.S. attorney general and director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, asking them to eliminate the seven-day waiting period to purchase a firearm or associated accessories, including silencers, over state lines.