Bills being considered by the South Dakota Legislature today include protecting religious liberty, the education sales tax increase, relations with Israel, and protecting persecuted religious groups abroad.

During the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting this morning, Jim Hansen, head of the Rapid City Board of Education, asked what is the plan to get us out of the education problem we’re in, if the recommendation of the Blue Ribbon Task Force isn’t the answer. Hansen claimed legislators would “decimate our schools” if they did not fund an education funding increase.

A question was asked at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today in Rapid City about “separation of powers” and how the executive branch heavily lobbies the legislative branch of South Dakota government in Pierre.

At the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting on Feb. 201, 2016, a transgender woman who has mutilated her body to appear masculine asked about HB 1008, a bill recently passed by the legislature and now being considered by the governor, which requires boys to use the body’s restroom/locker room and girls to use the girl’s restroom/locker room in schools.

South Dakota Rep. Lynne DiSanto was one of the featured speakers at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today. DiSanto spoke about some of the bills she has sponsored. She also discussed HB 1182, the education tax increase bill.

South Dakota Rep. Brian Gosch was one of the featured speakers at the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today  (video below). Gosch is the House Majority Leader in the South Dakota Legislature.  Gosch said there are 247 bills in the House this year, 171 bills in the Senate, 14 House concurrent resolutions, 2 Senate concurrent resolutions, 2 House joint resolutions, and 4 Senate joint resolutions.  Gosch explained that resolutions have no force of law and only make a statement, and concurrent resolutions affect both chambers.  Joint resolutions can be used to refer matters to the ballot. The deadline for action on bills is Tuesday for every bill to be through committee, and Wednesday for every bill to have been voted on in its originating house before it can advance to consideration by the other body of the legislature. This is known as “crossover day.”  There are three weeks to go in […]

At the Rapid City Legislative Crackerbarrel meeting today, South Dakota Rep. Scott Craig was one of the featured speakers. Craig used his time primarily to address his change of heart on HB 1182, the education tax increase.

The latest Rapid City legislative crackerbarrel meeting was held at the South Dakota School of Mines today. The recently voted down education tax increase was the dominating topic at the gathering.

The Student Physical Privacy Act (HB1008) passed in the Senate Tuesday afternoon with a vote of 20-15. It now sits on the desk of Governor Dennis Daugaard. “Boots on the ground” in Pierre are telling us that the Governor’s phone is ringing off the wall (so to speak) from those across the country who don’t want to see this bill signed into law. To say that there is enormous pressure to veto would be an understatement.

Usually, when you hear about someone promoting the “compassionate” use of marijuana, just the tiniest bit of examination reveals that it’s nothing but a cheap “Cheech and Chong” smokescreen intended to facilitate and move us closer to the legalization of recreational drugs.