PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today thanked state senators for rejecting Senate Bill 87, a bill that would have blocked property owners from posting “no guns allowed” signs and would have effectively forced South Dakota college and university campuses to allow people to carry loaded guns on their premises.
State senators rejected the bill in a 19-16 vote late Wednesday. Ahead of the vote, a number of institutions raised concerns about SB 87, including the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, the South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, the South Dakota Board of Regents and several local hospitals.
SB 87 would have encroached on South Dakotans’ private property rights by blocking private property owners from posting signs prohibiting firearms. It would have also effectively forced South Dakota colleges and universities to allow people to carry loaded guns on their premises – despite opposition from campus stakeholders and the potential for significant security and insurance costs. More information about the bill is available here.
STATEMENT FROM SHANNON HOIME, VOLUNTEER CHAPTER LEAD WITH THE SOUTH DAKOTA CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“The South Dakotans I know don’t want politicians trampling on private property rights or rolling back common-sense public safety laws. By rejecting this extreme bill, our elected officials stood up for our values and our safety.”