Three major bills during the last session of the South Dakota Legislature felt the sting of Governor Daugaard’s veto pen. It’s been a couple of weeks since the final legislative day in Pierre, known as Veto Day. That should be enough time to determine whether or not our governor made the right decisions about those three bills that were killed by his pen.

The state open meetings commission recently ruled that the Sioux Falls City Council violated South Dakota’s open meeting law by the way it fired the city clerk. After an executive session the council violated the law in trying to take official action without referring to the subject matter of the official action. This city council isn’t the first to be jolted by the commission. Others have rightfully felt the commission’s sting as well.

Here are some thoughts on some of South Dakota’s legislators wanting to pull the construction tax refund issue off the November ballot. Senate Bill 170 would have done just that. But in the last week there were cooler (smarter) heads that prevailed.

What? No phone booths any more in South Dakota? They met their Waterloo a few years ago. What? No phone booths any more in South Dakota? They met their Waterloo a few years ago. It seems that once cellphones became “essential” for most everyone over the age of 12 (Now, it seems that age has slipped to 7 or 8.) it was—presumably-no longer necessary for people to rely on pay phones to communicate with loved ones, including mine, and other important people.

Columnist Leonard Pitts of the Miami Herald had an article in a recent issue in that newspaper in a town near Harrisburg. He thinks of himself as a progressive. If that is another word for liberal I’ll have to buy it. That is why I don’t read his stuff to often. However a recent column of his caught my attention, “Marines’ ignorance is alarming.” It reminded me of something-Not knowing the past, you are bound to repeat it.

 A bill calling for a tax increase on roll-your-own cigarettes has passed in the state House and by the time you read this the bill will have died or passed in the Senate and be on its way for the Governor’s signature. Whether the proposed tax becomes law or dies somewhere in the Senate, the issue brings up a couple of interesting points.

When observing the South Dakota Legislature over a number of years one learns there are several issues its members shy away from for one reason or another. Examples are such issues as getting rid of the sales tax on food, taxing internet sales, texting and speeding points. Each of these should be discussion subjects with your legislators.

Eighty or so legislators have decided that South Dakota needs a new flag. Ours has been determined the fifth worst in the U.S. by the Vexillogical Association. However, the proposed flag design, and even the idea of changing the current design, causes a vexation to me and a lot of other South Dakotans. Who should know best as to our state flag-some out-of-state vexillogists or the people of South Dakota? Here is where that old bromide fits: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Governor Daugaard’s proposal for extra funding for South Dakota’s public schools is disturbing to some, especially to the teachers in these schools. His idea of terminating tenure is causing a lot of smoke as well. Still, outside the teaching ranks his funding ideas seem to be getting a favorable response from the public. Which side will the Legislature be on?

South Dakotans have a unique quality of running into each other, no matter what part of the world they may be in. Today’s column is an example exemplifying this quality. When you travel around the state or across the nation, do you ever strike up a conversation with someone? They may be sitting beside you on the plane or perhaps at a convention in some far off place? If you are truly a South Dakotan, more than likely you have. That is a unique and rare quality of people who live or have lived in South Dakota.