By STEPHEN GROVES, Related Press
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota‘s rapid-fire legislative session kicks off Tuesday with lawmakers ready to debate legalizing marijuana, find out how to spend almost $1 billion in federal coronavirus aid and what to do with a spate of payments referring to a few of the nation’s most incendiary social points.
The heightened tensions of an election 12 months, a bitter spat between Home and Senate Republicans and one of many shortest legislative periods within the nation be certain that politics in Pierre will likely be full of life this 12 months. And as if these points gained’t maintain lawmakers busy sufficient through the nine-week session, a Home impeachment investigation is gaining steam because it probes Legal professional Normal Jason Ravnsborg’s conduct in a deadly automobile crash in 2020.
Listed here are 4 issues to know concerning the session:
Political Cartoons
Republicans have seen their numbers swell to historic numbers within the Statehouse, however that doesn’t imply all is nicely for the get together. A rising divide between mainstream Republicans and a proper wing of the get together is embodied in two of probably the most highly effective GOP lawmakers: Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, who presides over the Senate, and Home Speaker Spencer Gosch.
Schoenbeck, who represents the get together’s outdated guard, describes some Home members as “crazies” for his or her right-wing stances and undermined Gosch’s try to maintain secret the names of Home lawmakers who petitioned for a particular session final 12 months. Gosch accused the senator of using “DC political techniques” throughout redistricting.
Their beef did not finish with redistricting — a course of that left Republicans brazenly fuming within the halls of the Capitol in November. The 2 lawmakers have traded jabs throughout committee conferences main as much as the session and will likely be making an attempt to outmaneuver one another as they information payments via their respective chambers this 12 months.
The divide throughout redistricting left Democrats in a uncommon place of energy in Pierre. With Home Republicans cut up on whether or not to approve a political map that originated within the Senate, Democrats have been in a position to achieve some key concessions and forged deciding votes.
Home Democratic chief Rep. Jamie Smith mentioned he’ll be in search of alternatives to try this once more.
“It’s not a secret in any respect that the Republican caucus is a divided caucus,” Smith mentioned. “I imagine that our eight votes will likely be crucial at sure instances throughout our legislative session. It might be a mistake for individuals to miss the Democratic Occasion in Pierre.”
Nonetheless, Republican caucus leaders, significantly Sen. Gary Cammack and Rep. Kent Peterson, will likely be trying to clean tensions to make sure they maintain management.
“Redistricting was actually laborious,” Peterson mentioned, acknowledging a tense three days of negotiations. However he referred to as the brand new 12 months “a reset level.”
Republican leaders have scheduled common sitdowns to debate laws, Cammack mentioned, “so we’re speaking to one another and never speaking at one another.”
Lawmakers spent the final 12 months determining what to do with two voter-approved measures to legalize each medical and leisure marijuana. Whereas a medical program has been applied, leisure pot stays unlawful after the state Supreme Courtroom dominated that the poll measure violated the state structure. And a few lawmakers wish to change the standing of each.
A legislative committee has crafted a pair of payments to legalize after which tax leisure marijuana for adults. Additionally, dozens of payments suggest extra rules on the present medical marijuana regulation, together with placing a three-plant most on medical customers who develop hashish at dwelling or disallowing dwelling rising altogether.
However lawmakers will likely be taking over a problem that is politically fraught for Gov. Kristi Noem. She opposed marijuana legalization, tried to gradual implementation of the medical marijuana regulation final 12 months and launched a lawsuit that killed leisure pot legalization. She has struck a softer tone lately on legalization.
Sen. Michael Rohl, who has pushed for legalization, mentioned Noem instructed lawmakers on a current name that “we have been driving the bus” on marijuana laws.
It is not clear whether or not Noem would veto leisure marijuana if a invoice legalizing it reaches her desk. Rohl mentioned he desires to “put it on her desk and discover out.”
Many lawmakers see pot legalization as inevitable — both via their motion, federal laws or one other poll measure in November.
“A number of the people imagine that we’re both going to do it or have it accomplished to us,” Cammack mentioned.
FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF
The Legislature is flush with funds, largely due to federal pandemic aid. And Noem has proposed over $1 billion in tasks that handle youngster care, housing wants and water entry.
“This appropriations committee goes to be coping with extra spending than any appropriations committee within the historical past of South Dakota,” mentioned Schoenbeck.
The committee, which irons out the price range, was already at work final week, making an attempt to get a head begin on the session. However the price range is perennially the ultimate merchandise settled in Pierre.
“Any time you are speaking about cash, it’s contentious,” Peterson mentioned.
Lawmakers will provide you with their very own proposals on spending the federal cash however must keep inside federal pointers. Republicans additionally wish to be sure that the federal cash is spent on one-time tasks that may final lengthy into the longer term.
The state has additionally seen hovering tax revenues, and the governor has proposed a historic elevate of 6% for state staff, lecturers and government-funded medical suppliers — an enormous leap for an allocation that has perennially been a price range squeeze within the Capitol. Democrats say it ought to be much more.
The Senate Democratic chief, Sen. Troy Heinert, mentioned the elevate proposal was “good, however that doesn’t even meet the speed of inflation.”
He identified that South Dakota has one of many lowest charges of common trainer pay within the nation.
It is an election 12 months, and lawmakers will likely be hitting on loads of hot-button social points that fireplace up conservative voters.
Noem, who’s operating for reelection whereas additionally positioning herself for a attainable 2024 White Home bid, has already previewed laws addressing abortion, transgender athletes, the nation’s historical past on race and prayer in faculties.
Some conservative lawmakers do not wish to cease with Noem’s proposals. They’ve introduced their very own ban on transgender ladies and lady athletes with a sharper enforcement mechanism, in addition to proposals that may ban transgender college students from utilizing loos that match their gender id and their entry to gender-confirming hormone therapies and operations.
“I feel this session goes to be fairly brutal,” mentioned Susan Williams, who leads a corporation that advocates for transgender youth referred to as The Transformation Undertaking.
Up to now, Noem has sounded notes of warning on laws that singles out transgender youth, however she confronted political fallout from social conservatives when she partially vetoed a invoice that addressed transgender athletes final 12 months. Along with her help of a ban on transgender ladies and lady athletes from leagues matching their gender id, the laws seems sure to succeed. However some high Republicans mentioned that does not imply each invoice affecting transgender individuals will get their nod.
“Some cases we would discover a method to craft laws that is smart,” Schoenbeck mentioned. “For different ones, we’ve bought to get them to go away.”
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