On January 23, NRA-backed legislation that would prohibit employers from preventing employees from lawfully storing firearms in their locked personal vehicles was formally introduced in the state House of Representatives. Introduced by House Speaker Val Rausch (R-4) and sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Russell Olsen (R-8), House Bill 1132 will address a long standing issue for South Dakotans.
On a daily basis, employees have various reasons for carrying a firearm and are often forced to secure that firearm in their vehicle while at work. Employees, who carry a firearm for self-defense on their commute and those who go hunting or target shooting, either before or after work, should not be faced with the possibility of losing their jobs because of a workplace policy that deprives them of their Second Amendment rights. This legislation seeks only to allow employees to safely store these firearms in their locked personal vehicle, continue to guarantee their rights and remove the fear of being fired.
Please contact your state legislators today and urge them to cosponsor HB 1132. Also, please contact House Speaker Rausch and Senate Majority Leader Olsen and thank them for addressing this important issue and standing up for the Second Amendment rights of South Dakotans.
To locate your state legislators and their contact information please click here.