Bill Introduced in South Dakota Would Require All Citizens to Buy a Gun

AP

A group of South Dakota lawmakers have introduced a bill mandating that every citizen in their state over the age of 21 purchase a firearm, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports.

Under the bill, the firearm would reportedly have to be "sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense" and residents would have six months to buy one after the law takes effect. The only people exempted would be those legally prohibited from owning a firearm.

If this sounds too crazy to be true, it is - sort of. The lawmakers told the Argus Leader they know the bill won't pass and introduced it only to make a point related to the individual mandate in last year's sweeping health care reform law. The mandate, which goes into effect in 2014, requires that all Americans purchase health insurance or pay a fine.

"Do I or the other cosponsors believe that the State of South Dakota can require citizens to buy firearms? Of course not," Republican Rep. Hal Wick told the Argus Leader. "But at the same time, we do not believe the federal government can order every citizen to buy health insurance."

The individual mandate has been at the center of court challenges to the health care reform law. Two federal judges have thus far ruled the law constitutional and two have ruled it (at least in part) unconstitutional. The matter is expected to eventually come before the Supreme Court.

In an appearance on CBSNews.com's "Washington Unplugged" in December, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli compared the individual mandate to forcing people to buy guns.

"Never before in our history has the federal government ordered Americans to buy a product under the guise of regulating commerce," he said. "Imagine if this bill were that in order to protect our communities and homeland security, every American had to buy a gun. Can you image the reaction across the country to that?"

[maddyfloyd]

If there was NO insurance at all, health care costs would be cheaper.

Insurance companies are "for profit" companies and so our health depends on the almighty dollar!

If your sick, the insurance companies make more money, there is no incentive for preventative maintenance.

[maddyfloyd]

Instead of making everyone buy insurance they should make it so everyone CAN buy insurance. Provide insurance with relative costs to income.

[WeHappyFew]

Having a police force is unconstitutional. The constitution required all citizens to uphold and defend and enforce the law. Police forces were created by legislative mandate in the first half of the nineteenth century.

[clarkw11]

I think its great. If the Feds can require me to purchase Healthcare or be fined then why not require people to purchase guns. Lets not stop there, require them to certain kinds of food and certain brands of cars. i think S.D. is on to a new way for States to get out of the RED.

[abbe91]

Certain brands of cars ? What do you call the GM bail-out ?

[abbe91]

Actually, we (tax payers) were actually forced to buy guns. These guns used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[clarkw11]

That is called the Price for Freedom. Don't like it leave!

[abbe91]

Oh I see, we invaded Iraq to preserve our freedom. LOL.

[Multi-Basking]

Are you listening S.D.? This is your hard earned tax dollars at work for you. Good investment you have going there. At least the Repubs finally have an answwer for your health care in South Dakota. Get sick and... well, you have that new gun.

[LemmiTellia]

Conservatives think it's unconstitutional to require people to buy health insurance, so they're making their point in the lamest way possible by taking up time in their state legislature with a bogus bill. Typical childish GOP gimmickry.

[adamrovich]

yes and while we are at it lets have licensing requirements to have children, most of you do not know how to raise children. Lets not forget license to take a **** tooooooooooo!!!!!

[Ericwvb]

Ironically, "Obamacare" is actually a Republican invention and was pushed by Republicans for about 30 years or so until our current Republican, errr, I mean Democratic President and the Democrats pushed it as a solution. Why are they against their own plan? Because anything that makes America fail or the Democrats fail is good for getting themselves back in power.

It should really called "Romneycare" since Mitt Romney got it implemented in MA first.

It is a Republican idea because it is the Republican solution to fixing the millions of uninsured problem. The Democrats had a simple solution: "extend Medicare to all" but that made the Republicans and their insurance corporate buddies very nervous (not to say the Democrats don't have insurance corporate buddies too). "Romneycare" was their solution: you MANDATE that everyone buy PRIVATE insurance and now the "free market" has solved the problem plus their corporate buddies make billions in profit AND everyone is covered. Win-win-win.

This was pushed by the Heritage Foundation, Nixon, Bush I, Bob Dole, Chuck Grassley, Mitt Romney, and pretty much every major Republican figure for DECADES.

Now all of a sudden the Democrats pass their proposal and it's unconstitutional?

You have to have auto insurance to drive a car, but not everyone needs to drive a car. But everyone needs to have their health otherwise they die. As long as people can go to the emergency room and the taxpayer picks up the tab for their care, we can force people to buy health insurance.

[blindersoff]

Those idiots obviously can't tell when Ann Coulter is joking. She also said "every citizen should be required to buy a gun and a bible". Did they leave the bible off this bill? Nobody is coming after guns. I see nothing wrong if we DID ban extended clips to the general public again as we did during the past 10 years until it expired. The only thing that could cause action against guns is if these idiots keep killing people and threatening them over the nonexistant threat to "ban all guns". That can't be done, and won't be done.