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South Dakota politicians introduce tongue-in-cheek legislation saying residents would have to buy firearms by mid-2012.
By Kim Peterson on Tue, Feb 1, 2011 12:32 PM
Credit: (©Leander Baerenz/Getty Images) Caption: Men playing with gunsFive lawmakers in South Dakota are pushing legislation that would require adults in the state to buy a gun starting in 2012.
This is great news for gun makers like Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm Ruger (RGR), both of which have seen shares fall since early December. The bill doesn't say what kind of gun people would be required to buy. It suggests only that residents look for something "suitable to their temperament, physical capacity, and personal preference."
There's no chance of this proposal actually becoming law. And the politicians who introduced the bill know it. But they're trying to make a point by comparing the bill to . . . federal health care reform?
"Do I or the other cosponsors believe that the State of South Dakota can require citizens to buy firearms? Of course not," one of the bill's sponsors, a Republican from Sioux Falls, told the Argus Leader. "But at the same time, we do not believe the federal government can order every citizen to buy health insurance."
Post continues after video:
It's unclear how far state lawmakers are going to push the bill to make their case. But South Dakota residents are slamming the idea in the Argus Leader's comment board. "I am thankful that one of my legislators isn't on this list of sponsors, all of whom qualify for 'Idiot of the Week' with this moronic measure," one reader wrote.
Setting aside the intended seriousness (or lack thereof) of this bill, I'm not sure this is the best way to prove the point. South Dakota has also made auto insurance mandatory. Wouldn't a more relevant statement be to lift the auto insurance requirement?
By the way, here's the full text of the bill:
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to provide for an individual mandate to adult citizens to provide for the self defense of themselves and others.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. Not later than January 1, 2012, each citizen residing in the state of South Dakota who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm suitable to their temperament, physical capacity, and personal preference sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense.
Section 2. After January 1, 2012, each citizen residing in the state of South Dakota shall comply with the provisions of this Act within six months of attaining the age of twenty-one years.
Section 3. The provisions of this Act do not apply to any person who is disqualified from possessing a firearm pursuant to §§ 22-14-15, 22-14-15.1, or 22-14-15.2.
South Dakota politicians introduce tongue-in-cheek legislation saying residents would have to buy firearms by mid-2012.
By Kim Peterson on Tue, Feb 1, 2011 12:32 PM
Credit: (©Leander Baerenz/Getty Images) Caption: Men playing with gunsFive lawmakers in South Dakota are pushing legislation that would require adults in the state to buy a gun starting in 2012.
This is great news for gun makers like Smith & Wesson (SWHC) and Sturm Ruger (RGR), both of which have seen shares fall since early December. The bill doesn't say what kind of gun people would be required to buy. It suggests only that residents look for something "suitable to their temperament, physical capacity, and personal preference."
There's no chance of this proposal actually becoming law. And the politicians who introduced the bill know it. But they're trying to make a point by comparing the bill to . . . federal health care reform?
"Do I or the other cosponsors believe that the State of South Dakota can require citizens to buy firearms? Of course not," one of the bill's sponsors, a Republican from Sioux Falls, told the Argus Leader. "But at the same time, we do not believe the federal government can order every citizen to buy health insurance."
Post continues after video:
It's unclear how far state lawmakers are going to push the bill to make their case. But South Dakota residents are slamming the idea in the Argus Leader's comment board. "I am thankful that one of my legislators isn't on this list of sponsors, all of whom qualify for 'Idiot of the Week' with this moronic measure," one reader wrote.
Setting aside the intended seriousness (or lack thereof) of this bill, I'm not sure this is the best way to prove the point. South Dakota has also made auto insurance mandatory. Wouldn't a more relevant statement be to lift the auto insurance requirement?
By the way, here's the full text of the bill:
FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to provide for an individual mandate to adult citizens to provide for the self defense of themselves and others.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:
Section 1. Not later than January 1, 2012, each citizen residing in the state of South Dakota who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm suitable to their temperament, physical capacity, and personal preference sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense.
Section 2. After January 1, 2012, each citizen residing in the state of South Dakota shall comply with the provisions of this Act within six months of attaining the age of twenty-one years.
Section 3. The provisions of this Act do not apply to any person who is disqualified from possessing a firearm pursuant to §§ 22-14-15, 22-14-15.1, or 22-14-15.2.
