South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem says she will sign into law a measure allowing people to carry concealed pistols without a permit in South Dakota.

The Republican governor tweeted Wednesday that the legislation would further protect the "Second Amendment rights of law-abiding South Dakotans." Noem plans to sign the bill on Thursday.

The move is a win for conservatives who have long supported the plan, which languished under former Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard.

It's currently a misdemeanor for someone to carry a concealed pistol or to have one concealed in a vehicle without a permit. Openly carrying a firearm in South Dakota is legal.

Noem says the Founding Fathers believed in the right to be bear arms so firmly that they enshrined it in the Constitution.

The South Dakota Sheriffs' Association opposes the bill arguing current limitations under the permit process are reasonable.

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