PIERRE, S.D. — Over the objections of some student representatives and South Dakota’s Board of Regents, a legislative panel approved Thursday and sent to the full state House a proposal to allow people 21 years or older to carry a concealed weapon on the six public university campuses.
The House Local Government Committee voted 8-5 to approve the plan, which would only allow universities to prohibit weapons in dormitories or campus housing. The head of the Board of Regents, Jack Warner, unsuccessfully urged the committee to abandon the measure because he said shootings on campuses are rare and the proposal would make students feel less secure.
State law requires a concealed pistol permit to carry a weapon or have it out of sight in a vehicle. But the Regents have a rule that guns are not allowed on public university campuses. Opponents said police and campus safety officials are there to keep students safe.
A spokeswoman for Gov. Dennis Daugaard said in an email that his administration shares the Regents’ concerns with the bill.
Rachelle Norberg, a senior at the University of South Dakota, told the committee that she would be reluctant to attend law school in South Dakota if the proposal becomes law.
“It’d be very hard for me to justify going to USD’s law school,” Norberg, 21, said after the meeting. “They want to make college students feel safer by allowing them to concealed carry, and I guess my opposing view of that is, while I want everyone to feel safe, I don’t think it’s fair to encourage someone’s safety and jeopardize another person’s thought of safety.”
Rep. Jim Stalzer, a Republican from Sioux Falls, said his plan was prompted by students who want to defend themselves on college campuses.
