Both Rep. Howard and congressman Johnson appeal to their voting records in support of the Second Amendment

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - According to the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks, more than 70 thousand deer licenses were issued in the state last year. Making gun rights a major topic of discussion in South Dakota politics for some time now, but where do the candidates for the 2022 U.S. House republican primary stand?

It’s not an issue limited to South Dakota. With the rise in deadly mass shootings across the country in recent years, the debate on who should have guns has heated up.

Representative Dusty Johnson, running to defend his seat in congress, cites his 92% approval rating from the NRA as proof of his defense of the Second Amendment while in office.

He said that he’s also working to ensure mental health programs are properly funded and suggests using unused COVID relief money.

”Rather than just having states waste them by quickly spending them before the deadlines, giving them the opportunity to gather those funds into a trust fund that can be used in perpetuity to address mental health and substance abuse issues,” Johnson said.

State legislator Taffy Howard, running against Johnson in the Republican primary, is firing back citing Johnson’s vote for red flag laws. She calls herself an “unabashed supporter” of the second amendment.

”That protects all other rights,” Howard said. “We can have a conversation about mental health issues, but I would say we just need to fall back and stand firm on 2nd Amendment rights.”

Howard’s website says she co-sponsored a concealed carry bill in past legislative sessions.