(Continued from page 27)

interests," said Tieszen, a former Rapid City police chief and a sponsor of the bill.
• Under the measure, people who are involuntarily committed to a mental health facility after a county board finds them to be a danger to themselves or others would be added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Licensed firearms dealers conduct a check through NICS to determine whether a customer is eligible to buy a gun, and county sheriffs check it to determine if people should get permits to carry concealed handguns.
• People acquitted of crimes by reason of insanity or deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial also would be added to the national list of those not allowed to have guns.
• After treatment, those people could ask a state judge to restore their right to have guns, and that court order would reported to the NICS system. The bill's supporters said that would be an easier way to restore federal gun rights than the current practice of petitioning the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
• Rep. Timothy Johns, R-Lead, said federal law prohibits convicted felons, drug offenders and others from having guns. South Dakota already reports criminal convictions to the NICS system but should join other states in reporting those ineligible to have guns because of dangerous mental illness, he said.
• South Dakota Gun Owners and its national affiliate have opposed the measure, arguing it takes away gun rights from people who have not committed any crimes.
• Sen. Jeff Monroe, R-Pierre, said he paid no attention to emails prompted by those groups. He said he had no problem with the bill's intent, but voted against it because he believes too many people are being diagnosed with mental disorders and placed on prescription drugs.
• Sen. Tim Begalka, R-Clear Lake, said he opposed the bill because it gives too much authority to the federal government and would discriminate against people with mental illnesses.
• But Sen. Mike Vehle, R- Mitchell, said mass shootings around the nation frequently are committed by people with mental illnesses. He said a vote against the bill would be saying lawmakers think those with dangerous mental illnesses should be able to buy guns.
• "I don't want to have to explain that vote," Vehle said.
•

• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe has agreed to submit its sex offenders' data to the South Dakota Sex Offender Registry.

(Continued on page 29)