By: Teresa Mull

Constitutional Carry is officially on the desk of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), awaiting her signature.

Moments ago, the South Dakota State House passed Constitutional Carry legislation (Senate Bill 47) by a vote of 47 to 23. The South Dakota Senate passed the bill on January 22.

“Constitutional Carry legislation,” according to South Dakota Gun Owners (SDGO), “recognizes law-abiding citizens’ right to carry concealed firearms for self-defense, without obtaining a permit, but retains the concealed carry permitting system for out-of-state reciprocity.”

Noem said during her campaign she would sign such a measure into law.

“The Founders believed our right to bear arms was so important to our country they enshrined it into the Constitution’s Second Amendment,” Noem said in January of last year. “I believe enacting constitutional carry legislation will further protect the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding South Dakotans.”

Keep Your Promise!
“This is a victory for gun owners and for pro-gun champions like Sen. Lance Russell and Rep. Drew Dennert, who have worked for Constitutional Carry for several years,” said Ray Lautenschlager, Executive Director of SDGO. “On behalf of our 18,000 South Dakota members, we are calling on Gov. Noem to sign Constitutional Carry into law, as promised.”

“It looks like South Dakota may soon be the thirteenth state to pass full Constitutional Carry,” said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights. “Congratulations to all the South Dakotans who have worked for this over the past 20 years. And a special thanks to Senate President Pro Tempore Brock Greenfield for shepherding the bill through the process this year.”

Three of the four safest states in the U.S. — Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire — honor Constitutional Carry. South Dakota would join 12 others — Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming — as Constituional Carry States.

Teresa Mull is editor of Gunpowder Magazine. Contact her at [email protected].