South Dakota bill allowing concealed weapons in bars awaits governor's signature

Yahoo

19-03-2025

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) — On March 12, South Dakota legislators passed a bill that would allow concealed guns in bars. It's now sitting on the governor's desk, waiting for him to sign it into law.
The South Dakota Legislature amended House Bill 1218, repealing a section of state law that prevents everyday gun owners from carrying a concealed pistol into a 'licensed bar that sells beer and liquor.' The provision only applies to bars and other businesses that make more than 50% of their total income from the sale of alcoholic beverages.
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'I'm not 100% thrilled that every person that walks in could carry a concealed weapon, but at the same time, I understand the right to bear arms and I also understand there's a lot of unstableness and craziness in the world,' said Kimberly LaFleur, owner of Beano & Sherry's Casinos in North Sioux City. 'Sometimes it can come in handy. Sometimes it's not handy. It's kind of a catch-22 in my opinion.'
If Governor Larry Rhoden signs the bill into law, South Dakota will join Iowa and Nebraska in allowing concealed weapons in bars. The obvious concern is mixing alcohol with firearms.
'You don't want to combine the two,' LaFleur said. 'You don't want to be under the influence. It's the same thing as driving a vehicle or whatever. You have a couple of drinks or whatever, you're under the influence. It's going to affect things.'
Another concern is that South Dakota is one of 29 constitutional carry states. That means any law-abiding adult can carry a firearm without any special training or permit.
'With great power comes great responsibility,' J.T. Grover with Rev-Tac Firearm Instruction said. 'If you don't know the laws and you don't have any skills, it's amazing how many people that think they have that skill. Even the people, we see some through our conceal carry classes that have to shoot to qualify, the talent is typically not there. It's important to recognize that even though there is a bar, that bar is extremely low. And now with constitutional carry, there is no bar, other than you have a pulse and legally possess a firearm.'
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According to Grover, people that carry weapons into bars need to make sure they are responsible for their actions to avoid something bad happening.
'If you're going to the bar and personal defense is something that's important to you, you still have to maintain a clear head,' he said. 'So you have to choose if you're there to party or are you there to protect. I think most people would not mix those two.'
Currently, bar owners in South Dakota have the right to post a sign forbidding guns in their bars, and that would continue under HB 1218.
If signed, the bill would be effective July 1.
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