On Monday, the North Dakota Senate voted 36-11 to reject HB 1206, which would have allowed more people to carry loaded handguns in K-12 schools, college buildings, and sporting events. In opposing the measure, senators seemed to recognize the serious public safety risks posed by the bill and taken note of the opposition from school boards, counties, colleges and universities.
Yet the risks posed by similar legislation, HB 1163, have received relatively little attention from lawmakers — and the bill now heads to Gov. Burgum’s desk. If enacted, HB 1163 would make it easy for people to carry loaded handguns in sensitive areas, including bars, schools, athletic/sporting events, and publicly owned/operated buildings, by reducing the penalty for doing so from a misdemeanor to a mere “infraction.”
Gov. Burgum has a decision to make: Will he stand up for public safety by keeping HB 1163 from becoming law? Or will he make it easy for people to carry guns in sensitive areas like schools, bars and sporting events?
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