Greetings! We are two weeks away from the session’s end. During the remaining time, we need to finish finalizing a balanced budget. The appropriations committee has spent many long hours listening to budget requests; some are tabled, some are sent to the 41st day, others are passed.
My HB1262, luckily, is in the third category. Just a reminder that it asks for a grant for infrastructure to buy and remodel a building for a day alternative learning center for violent and disruptive children. Appropriators voted 14-2 to pass it on to the House floor, where it only had four “no” votes. Next, it goes to the Senate for debate. I am crossing my fingers!! It is so important to place a therapy and learning center in that area. How helpful it could be to surrounding school districts in several counties.
We heard SB223 in House Ed. The ask was to increase the number of days to fill out a petition for a vote on a school opt-out while reducing the number of people from those who voted in the last election for Governor to five percent of those that voted in the last school election. Mainly a Sioux Falls bill, it would cut the number of people needed there from 5,500 to about 1,690. One of the testifiers in favor said there were 50 people working on the drive last time, and only about 2,200 signatures were gotten. Simple math says each one would have to get 110 over 20 days or 5.5 signatures per day. Does not seem impossible to me unless people had no interest in signing. The vote went 8-7 to pass it on to the floor. There was a vote, the bill lost, and a motion was made to reconsider so will be taken up on Monday.
On the floor, my friend from the other side of the aisle had a resolution to preserve the monarch butterfly through conservation efforts, which would include planting milk weed as butterflies lay their eggs on the plant. The floor discussion then ballooned into not liking weeds such as this as the milk weed is toxic and harmful to horses. The bill, however, passed the House with a handful of “no” votes. It was one of the more fun resolutions, despite some pushback. I will say that there, perhaps, is a possibility that harmful chemicals out there are destructive to other animal and plant life as well. It is up to us to carefully practice safe conservation methods.
HB1244, a bill donned as the JAG (Jobs for America’s Graduates), asking for $500,000, passed on the floor. I had heard about the program but did not know much about it. A few years ago, we had one JAG team come and visit committee. At that point I became a fan of the program. The students were very honest as to how their home lives were a struggle, with little help and hope; some had even anticipated suicide. The JAG instructors had a program that provided a “family” atmosphere. They were doing activities, completing daily living tasks independently, and managing their studies with great success. The statistics showed a high rate of graduation achieved in this program. Students, gaining positive experience, became good productive citizens of society.
SB205 appeared in the Commerce and Energy committee. The bill asked to take drone tax money out of the aeronautics fund and set up a separate fund for it. The argument was made that drones do not use runways and are different from regular airplanes. Several years ago the aeronautics fund was swept and went into the general fund. This money had been paid by members, and it was difficult to have it replenished. Thus, I voted no to this bill as I did not think we needed another small, separate fund. For now, it is better to leave it all in one fund. As drones are more widely used, separation may be a possibility.
HB1082, introduced by Rep. Wittman, is a bill to make not only those who qualify for free school lunch but also adds those who qualify for reduced lunches to also be free. Before this is possible, both entail the parents who qualify to turn in the paperwork that is required. This bill does NOT give free school lunches to everyone. This bill passed the House and now goes on to a Senate committee for further review.
SB88 sailed through both chambers with all affirmative votes. Otherwise known as the Bossly bill, it clarifies that no one is allowed on one’s premises to dig or disturb one’s property without permission. If the reader remembers, the family had an unfortunate situation with the Summit Company when they entered the family’s house and then the shed without permission. Later, the company proceeded to drive over small trees, through fences and onto a planted field where they set up digging equipment and started drilling deep into the soil according to testimony. The Bossly’s have become the faces of many who fell victim to some bad actors from an out of state company.
We are embarking upon a busy week as we continue to come to a conclusion as to what is best for possible property taxes reductions. It is important to know that summer studies have been done three times on this subject with no apparent conclusions. Why? If we reduce taxes on one area, the increased burden shifts to another. We have the second lowest property taxes in the country; however, about four or five counties are really feeling the pinch on house taxes caused by inflation. That is also what makes coming to a ccnclusion so difficult.
Until next week, stay positive and spread kindness to those around you.
Rep. Greenfield
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