Bill allowing concealed handguns without a permit heads to Gov. Kristi Noem's desk

PIERRE — A bill allowing South Dakota residents to carry concealed handguns without a permit, also called "constitutional carry," is heading to Gov. Kristi Noem for a decision.

The House passed Senate Bill 47 in a 47-23 vote on Tuesday, and Noem now has five days, not including the weekend, to decide whether to sign the measure. If she vetoes the bill, it will return to the Legislature, which can override Noem's veto with a two-thirds majority vote.

Noem has said she supports permit-less concealed carry, but she'll consider the bill's exact language when making her decision.

Bill sponsor Rep. Lee Qualm, R-Platte, called it a "simple" bill that repeals the permit requirement, but doesn't change who can carry a concealed handgun in South Dakota.

More: South Dakotans one step closer to carrying concealed handguns without a permit

Most of Sioux Falls' House members spoke out in opposition during the 30-minute debate on the House floor.

Rep. Erin Healy, D-Sioux Falls, pointed out that people who receive a gun through a private transaction don't go through a background check, and the concealed carry permit process is "our one check to keep our communities safe."

Rep. Linda Duba, D-Sioux Falls, noted the number of gun deaths in South Dakota, including those related to suicides.

"Access to a gun provides this immediate opportunity," Duba said.

Rep. Kevin Jensen, R-Canton, replied, "There are far, far too many gun deaths in this country, the vast majority of them are suicide, and that has nothing to do with concealed carry."

Rep. Doug Barthel, R-Sioux Falls, said he was opposing the bill because most of his constituents oppose the bill. A poll shows that a majority of South Dakotans support the state requiring concealed carry permits, he said.

Law enforcement are also against repealing the permit requirement and there's no harm in giving law enforcement one more tool to use when they do their jobs, Barthel said.

"Are you representing the people from your district?" Barthel said. "Is that truly the way they feel or is this just how you feel? We're sent here to represent the people from our district and vote the way we think they would like us to vote."

Rep. Tim Goodwin, R-Rapid City, told his fellow House members that the decision should be easy on repealing the permits because they all took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution. Rep. Kelly Sullivan, D-Sioux Falls, pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment doesn't equal unlimited gun rights.

Rep. Tim Johns, R-Lead, attempted to amend the bill to require South Dakota visitors to have a concealed carry permit in their home state, but the amendment failed in a 29-41 vote.

Poll: Residents support concealed carry permit

Most South Dakotans — and most gun owners who hold concealed carry permits — support the state requiring a permit to carry a concealed handgun, according to a new poll by a gun safety group.

Eighty-four percent of South Dakotans said they support the state's concealed carry permit requirement, according Everytown for Gun Safety's poll results released Tuesday. The scientific poll surveyed 875 South Dakotans and was completed by Survey USA.

The support for the current law requiring a concealed carry permit was also bipartisan — 81 percent of people who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016 and 92 percent of people who voted for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said they supported requiring a concealed carry permit, according to the poll.

Eighty-five percent of gun owners, and 84 percent of people holding a concealed carry permit, said they support South Dakota's current concealed carry permit law, according to the poll.

Fifty-nine percent of South Dakotans said they'd also be less likely to support a legislator and Noem if they supported repealing the state's current concealed carry permit law. However, about a quarter of gun owners and concealed carry permit holders said a legislator's and Noem's support of repealing the permit law wouldn't make a difference in their support of the legislator and Noem, according to the poll.