The mid-point of the 90th Legislative Session has come and bills have begun their rapid trek through committees, the House floor and onward to the Senate.
Bills coming before the House State Affairs committee are ones that certainly weigh on one’s personal convictions. Two bills dealt with the state’s death penalty: one that would allow a victim’s opposition to the death penalty, voiced through family members, is allowed at the sentencing of a convicted murderer. The second would allow for South Dakotans to note their opposition to the death penalty on their driver’s licenses. Both bills failed in committee with issues as to rulings by the Supreme Court and administration concerns, respectively. Two bills on the Senate side dealing with complete repeal of the death penalty and allowance of the death penalty if the convicted person is a danger to prison officials or other inmates. Both of those bills also failed.
There have been several bills that desire to change the concealed weapons permit statutes. I believe the current statutes are sufficient, in that they give law enforcement needed authority when dealing with situations involving reasonable suspicion to apprehend a weapon. Our 2nd Amendment rights are not being violated, while necessary actions are taken to insure safety for our citizens across the state/nation.
Education funding will be the hot topic for the remainder of the session. HB 1207 will be coming before House taxation, with many concerns as to the implications of the bill. The measure seeks to slow the growth of the Capital Outlay funds in our schools. While serving on the interim Agland Assessment Task Force, it become apparent that some schools’ capital outlay funds have grown significantly as the valuations of agricultural land (crop land) are required to increase to meet the parameters of the production assessment provision in law. Schools request their funds for Capital Outlay and Pension in dollars per thousand of valuation. The majority of schools have adjusted their levy requests as values have increased; however, some have not, thus the issue before the legislature. The bills is far from its final form, and I will do all I can to make sure that schools who are using their capital outlay funds prudently are held harmless. I have always said that if the State of South Dakota adequately funded our schools in the first place, we would not need to have concerns with the other funds of the schools.
Legislation that will attempt Medicaid expansion in South Dakota is still being worked through with interested parties meeting to put together a viable plan that will help many South Dakotans who do not have health insurance at this time. I believe it is just and moral for South Dakota to expand coverage and help so many receive health care at the optimum times and locations, all for a healthier South Dakota.
The Appropriation Bill continues to be vetted by the Joint Appropriations committee and I am following that closely as well. School funding, the Juvenile Justice Re-Investment initiative and Highway funding bills will have significant impacts on the revenue and expenditure side the budget as the session moves on and comes to a close. I certainly will address these issues as they before the House.
Please join Senator Sutton, Representative Qualm and myself this weekend, February 21st, for our second round of cracker barrels in Avon at 9:00 a.m. at the A-1 Gas Stop, in Wagner at 10:30 a.m. at Boom’s, and in Lake Andes at 1:00 p.m. at the Community Center. Please check your local paper for confirmed times and locations. I look forward to visiting with all in attendance about matters of importance to each of us.
I invite you to contact me with your questions and concerns. I may be reached by phone at 605-773-5255 (Capitol), 605-835-8120 (home) or 605-222-3378 (cell), or you may email me at HYPERLINK “mailto:rep.bartling@state.sd.us” rep.bartling@state.sd.us. Thank you to all in District 21 for the opportunity and honor to serve each of you as your State Representative. Take care and have a great week!
Representative Julie Bartling
District 21
Loading ...