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• But Russell said Alaska, Arizona and Wyoming have passed similar measures without encountering rising crime rates or hindering law enforcement.
• Russell said South Dakota's current law sometimes leads to legal trouble for people who inadvertently carry a gun in a vehicle.

• "I think the present system to some degree is a relic," Russell said.
• However, representatives of South Dakota police chiefs and sheriffs opposed the bill.
• Staci Eggert, executive director of the South Dakota Sheriffs' Association, said sheriffs support the constitutional right to bear arms but also believe they need to screen those who apply for concealed weapons permits to prevent convicted felons and those with mental health problems from getting permits.
• Rep. Stace Nelson, R-Fulton, said the current permitting system infringes on people's rights to bear arms by limiting who can carry concealed handguns and charging a fee for permits.

• "Disarming law-abiding people is not the answer," Nelson said. "They deserve the right to protect themselves and their families."
• However, Rep. Anne Hajek, R-Sioux Falls, said the current permitting system is working because sheriffs frequently deny permits to people with criminal records or mental health problems.
• "There is no reason to change something that is not broken," Hajek said.
•

• MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) -- Mitchell police say a former Dakota Wesleyan basketball player is accused of raping a female student on campus who was intoxicated and in and out of consciousness.
• School officials say Kristopher Wilson was attending DWU and living on campus when he was arrested Monday in connection with the Sunday night incident.
• Mitchell Detective Lt. Don Everson tells the Daily Republic newspaper that such an incident is not a common occurrence at DWU.
• Wilson was also working as a part time fifth- and sixth-grade boys basketball coach in the Hanson School District in Alexandria. The superintendent tells KELO television that Wilson is no longer employed there, pending the outcome of the investigation.
• Wilson is no longer listed in the Davison County Jail. Attorney information was not available.
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