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01-28-2009, 03:14 PM
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Board of Regents should continue to regulate firearms on public university campuses, a legislative committee says. The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 5-4 against SB82, a bill that would have made it illegal for a campus to restrict a student's right to have a firearm. The bill would have barred campus officials from expelling or disciplining a student who had a firearm.
The committee vote Wednesday came on a recommendation that the bill not pass. Under legislative rules, a bill tagged with that recommendation must receive 18 votes from the full Senate to be placed on the calendar for floor debate. A call for that vote could come later this week. Supporters of the bill say 18-year-olds on campus should have the same constitutional right to carry weapons as other South Dakota adults.
Sen. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, asked other lawmakers to set aside emotion and consider only the constitutional issue. "When the constitution talks about rights, we are talking about individual rights," Rhoden said. "Our federal constitution is very clear that those rights shall not be infringed. That language is stronger than our state constitution that says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied. Now we're talking about the emotion that comes into it because we are talking about 18-year-olds."
Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090128/NEWS10/901280267
The committee vote Wednesday came on a recommendation that the bill not pass. Under legislative rules, a bill tagged with that recommendation must receive 18 votes from the full Senate to be placed on the calendar for floor debate. A call for that vote could come later this week. Supporters of the bill say 18-year-olds on campus should have the same constitutional right to carry weapons as other South Dakota adults.
Sen. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, asked other lawmakers to set aside emotion and consider only the constitutional issue. "When the constitution talks about rights, we are talking about individual rights," Rhoden said. "Our federal constitution is very clear that those rights shall not be infringed. That language is stronger than our state constitution that says the right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied. Now we're talking about the emotion that comes into it because we are talking about 18-year-olds."
Read the rest of the article here:
http://www.aberdeennews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090128/NEWS10/901280267