PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order Friday that blocks state agencies from signing contracts with financial institutions that she says have discriminated against the firearms industry.
The Republican governor signed the order while speaking before the National Rifle Association convention in Indianapolis.
The governor said the order, which takes effect immediately, was in response to moves by some large banking institutions whose policies toward the firearms industry she said have included threatening to withhold funding, canceling loans, or “holding them to a different standard than how the left is treated.”
“I won’t stand for it, not in South Dakota,” Noem said.
Pro-gun lawmakers in the South Dakota Legislature tried to pass a similar NRA-backed measure during the 2022 session, but lobbyists for several banking associations and business groups persuaded the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee to defeat the legislation, KELO-TV reported.
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