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S.D. Legis Update

Rep. Betty Olson
District 28b

There are three weeks left in this 2014 legislative session and Cross Over is Tuesday, Feb. 25. That’s the last day that the House has to finish their bills and the Senate has to finish its bills so they start dealing with the bills that cross over from the other chamber.

The games continue. We passed Rep. Liz May’s bill HB 1215 to issue free fishing licenses to residents aged eighty-five and older out of House Ag committee unanimously last week and it was sent to the House floor on consent. After GF&P objected because they didn’t get to testify against May’s bill, she agreed to pull it from the consent calendar and send it back to committee. This week GF&P testified that if they grant free licenses they will lose thousands of dollars of federal money so HB 1215 was tabled on a 7 to 6 vote. Using Rule 7-7, Rep May recalled HB 1215 with the intent to amend it. The Ag committee met again after the end of business on Thursday, unanimously pulled the bill off the table and sent it back to the House “without recommendation.” Next week we will vote to amend HB 1215 to charge the old folks one dollar for their fishing licenses instead of the current $12 to allow GF&P to keep their federal dollars and hopefully pass the bill again.

On Thursday House Ag committee heard SB 119 to update and revise the statutes relating to the South Dakota Board on Geographic Names. Squaw is an offensive term to our Indian tribes and SB 119 will remove the word squaw from the names of creeks, rivers, and buttes in South Dakota. Some of you may remember years ago when Gov. Janklow’s office called me as the president of the Harding County Historical Society and asked that I rename two geographic features in Harding County, Squaw Creek and Squaw Tree Spring. I met with the folks who lived along the creek and had the spring in their pasture and we came up with new names. Squaw Creek is now Slim Buttes Creek and Squaw Tree Spring is now Prairie Woman Spring. The state removed the Squaw Creek sign and never replaced it, but after we passed SB 119, they have assured me that they will be putting up a new sign designating the creek as Slim Buttes Creek. They also brought me a map of Harding County that now lists the creek by its new name. SB 119 passed the House on Friday and is awaiting Gov. Daugaard’s signature.



My bill, HB 1068 to allow the use of dogs in hunting mountain lions outside of the Black Hills passed out of Senate Ag committee Tuesday and has been sent to the Senate. Another bill of mine, HB 1184 declaring the fourth Saturday in July “Day of the American Cowboy” passed unanimously out of the House and has been sent to the Senate.

These are some of the other bills the House passed this week:



*HB 1043 repealing outdated provisions regarding the regulation of aeronautics.

*HB 1122 to prohibit the collection in South Dakota of civil fines arising from speeding or red light cameras in other states.

*HB 1150 requires that the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States be recited at the start of each school day in every public school classroom.

*HB 1162 to prohibit the practice of sex-selective abortions and establish procedures to better ensure that sex-selective abortions are not practiced in South Dakota.

These Senate bills passed the House and have been sent to the governor:

*SB 39 revising provisions regarding the regulation of open containers of alcoholic beverages.

*SB 60 revises the titling and licensing of boats and motor vehicles.

*SB 61 revises provisions regarding organization, first responder, and organ donor emblem specialty plates for motor vehicles.

*SB 88 repeals outdated and obsolete provisions regarding steam engines operated over bridges.

There were several Cracker Barrels this weekend. Sen. Maher and I left Pierre after session on Friday and drove to Lemmon for the Cracker Barrel at the Senior Citizens Center held after the public meeting with the Perkins County planning and zoning board concerning the zoning plan they are developing. Saturday legislators from District 28 and 29 attended Cracker Barrels in Belle Fourche and Newell where we answered questions on a wide range of issues. One of the Newell elementary students brought me letters from her classmates in Mrs. Erk’s class with their comments on bills that are moving through the legislative process. These students are getting a great education that will serve them well in the future.

To contact me in Pierre, call the House Chamber number 605-773-3851. Leave a phone number and I’ll call you back. The fax number is 773-6806. If you send a fax, address it to Rep. Betty Olson. You can also email me at rep.bettyolson@state.sd.us during session. Track bills and committee meetings at this link: http://legis.sd.gov/