Poll Released Amid Consideration of H1072, a Reckless Bill in the South Dakota Legislature That Would Let People Carry Hidden, Loaded Handguns in Public Without a Permit
Support for the State’s Concealed Carry Permit Requirement Was Even Higher Among Gun Owners than the General Public, With 90 Percent of Gun Owners Saying They Supported the Requirement
PIERRE, S.D. – Everytown for Gun Safety and South Dakota Moms Demand Action, part of Everytown, today released a new poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of Everytown that finds 89 percent of South Dakota voters surveyed — including 90 percent of gun owners — support the law requiring a permit to carry a concealed handgun in public places. The poll results (available here) come days before a committee hearing in the South Dakota House of Representatives on H1072, a dangerous bill that would dismantle the state’s current concealed carry permit requirement and let certain weapons offenders, drug offenders and people with histories of violence carry hidden, loaded handguns in public.
The poll released today shows most Democrats and Republicans surveyed oppose removing the state’s permit requirement and finds 59 percent of those surveyed would be less likely to vote for a candidate if that candidate voted to repeal the requirement.
H1072 is scheduled for a Feb. 15 hearing in the House State Affairs committee. More information about the bill is available here.
STATEMENT FROM SUSAN TORRES, A VOLUNTEER WITH SOUTH DAKOTA MOMS DEMAND ACTION:
“The overwhelming majority of us in South Dakota, including nine in ten gun owners, support requiring a permit to carry a hidden handgun in public. As this polling makes clear, South Dakotans across the political spectrum recognize that getting rid of that requirement would make us less safe. I urge our lawmakers to stand up for their constituents and public safety by rejecting H1072.”