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January 19, 2024
Dear John,
Upholding the Constitution for All
BIG News
Two of my bills to strengthen Second Amendment rights passed the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
My bill, the Tribal Firearm Access Act, would allow tribal members to use their legally issued tribal I.D. as a valid form of identification to purchase a gun. Under current law, you can use a passport from a foreign government such as Russia, but a tribal I.D. is not on the list of approved identification documents. My bill would ensure tribal members can exercise their Second Amendment rights.
Another barrier to obtaining a firearm is the lack of a permanent street address for a home. For many RVers, servicemembers, and their families who lack a permanent street address, it’s difficult to meet that requirement, even if they are law-abiding citizens. My Traveler’s Gun Rights Act would allow individuals to list a P.O. Box as their primary mailing address.
Committee passage is just one step in the process of a bill becoming law, so I’ll keep working to ensure law-abiding South Dakotans can exercise their rights.
BIG Idea
This week, I voted to pass two bills to support and educate expectant mothers and provide resources to mothers and families in need.
- The Pregnant Students’ Rights Act provides necessary support for pregnant students on our college campuses. Women should never feel pressured to make a choice between continuing their education or carrying their child to full term.
- The Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act supports women and families by protecting a state’s right to provide dollars to pregnancy resource centers through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
My support for pro-life policies earned me an A+ rating on Susan B. Anthony’s Pro-Life Scorecard for my work in 2023. I am proud to defend unborn children’s right to life.
BIG Update
Last month, the Colorado Supreme Court removed former President Donald Trump from their ballot, citing the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and Trump’s actions on January 6, 2021. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars anyone from office who took an oath to uphold the Constitution but “engaged” in “insurrection or rebellion” against the Constitution. This week, I joined 136 House Republicans and 42 Senate Republicans to file an amicus brief opposing Donald Trump’s removal from ballots. President Trump has not been convicted of or charged with insurrection. Using the 14th Amendment to kick him off the ballot is a massive overreach by Colorado’s highest court.
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