Speaker Mickelson is lying about the Second Amendment
For the last 29 years, South Dakota Gun Owners has fought to restore and protect our God-given right to keep and bear arms.
This year we are on the cusp of passing Constitutional Carry through the Legislature.
Constitutional Carry is the idea that recognizing the Second Amendment is all you need in order to exercise your RIGHT to bear arms.
Unfortunately, even in pro-gun South Dakota, there are always a few politicians who would rather oppose our gun rights and then lie to obscure their anti-gun records.
This year, House Speaker Mark Mickelson is the latest anti-gun personality to win election by claiming to support the Second Amendment, only to pursue gun control restrictions in Pierre.
House Speaker Mark Mickelson is spreading falsehoods while opposing Constitutional Carry.
Mickelson has done everything in his power to kill the Constitutional Carry bill in South Dakota (HB 1072).
He is parroting worn-out anti-gun arguments from billionaire New York playboy Michael Bloomberg, all the while claiming to represent the interests of South Dakotans.
To put it bluntly, this is unacceptable.
As you know, HB 1072 would eliminate the government mandate forcing South Dakotans to get a permit before being able to carry their legally owned firearms concealed.
This legislation is steadily working its way through the Legislature, and is one of the most popular bills in South Dakota, and across the country.
But Speaker Mickelson believes that YOU, a law-abiding South Dakotan, should be FORCED to beg for government permission before you can lawfully defend yourself!
Please call him at (605) 951-7690 and tell him to SUPPORT Constitutional Carry and STOP lying about SDGO and the Second Amendment.
Should you be forced to pay for a First Amendment permit?
Of course not.
And that’s why more and more states are passing Constitutional Carry legislation each year.
In fact, New Hampshire just because the 11th Constitutional Carry state, passing the bill in the last couple weeks!
Mickelson also falsely claimed that forced permitting “is the only South Dakota law that prohibits a violent criminal from possessing a firearm.”
Speaker Mickelson’s ignorance (or worse) is breathtaking!
House Bill 1072 only allows law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm concealed without a permit and does not alter the prohibitions listed under other areas of South Dakota Codified Law.
If passed, HB 1072 will not change who can carry a firearm. It simply allows anyone who already legally owns a firearm to legally carry it without first begging government permission.
His false and radical anti-gun statement is eerily similar to Bloomberg’s anti-gun rhetoric accusing New Hampshire’s Constitutional Carry bill of “allow[ing] dangerous people to carry hidden, loaded firearms in public without a permit.”
Why is Mickelson mindlessly droning Bloomberg’s talking points?
Speaker Mickelson goes even FURTHER into the false statements by claiming that, “In Texas, which has repealed their concealed weapon permit requirement, a person must submit to a full background check and pay a $180 fee just to own a handgun/pistol.”
This is laughably false and easily discoverable with a simple internet search.
I asked our attorneys to follow up with a little more in-depth research. Their response: “That's total bunk. Texas has no such law.”
Texas has NOT repealed their permitting system, and they have no license to own a handgun!
Frankly, I have a hard time believing the House Speaker is this ignorant.
But whether it’s a lack of research, or a lack of integrity, Mark Mickelson is not telling the truth.
So, don’t let Speaker Mickelson blow smoke in your face.
Please call him at (605) 951-7690 and tell him to SUPPORT Constitutional Carry and STOP lying about SDGO and the Second Amendment.
Sincerely,
Ray Lautenschlager
Executive Director
South Dakota Gun Owners
P.S. House Speaker Mark Mickelson is spreading falsehoods while opposing Constitutional Carry.
Unfortunately, Mickelson isn’t just attacking our gun rights, he’s also attacking South Dakota Gun Owners and its members.
He is demanding that you trust him, a newly minted politician with an anti-gun track record, instead of SDGO and its 30 year history of standing up for your gun rights.
Please call him at (605) 951-7690 and tell him to SUPPORT Constitutional Carry and STOP lying about SDGO and the Second Amendment.
South Dakota Gun Owners is an un-incorporated not-for-profit association, dedicated to restoring and preserving the right of the people to keep and bear arms, and is financially accountable to its membership. Donations are not tax-deductible and are nonrefundable. Any SDGO member may obtain an annual financial statement by writing to: South Dakota Gun Owners, PO Box 3845, Rapid City, SD 57709. Its web address is www.SDGO.org