South Dakota Senate passes bill preventing conservation officers from entering private property without permission

March 9, 2021

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – The South Dakota Senate has passed a bill backed by Gov. Kristi Noem that would prevent conservation officers from entering private property without permission.

The bill suffered an early setback in the Senate after a committee unanimously rejected it.

But at Noem’s urging, Republicans revived the bill on the Senate floor and passed it Monday.

While the governor cast the bill as a way to respect private property rights and foster a working relationship between conservation officers and property owners, opponents say it will make it more difficult to catch people who are illegally hunting or fishing.