On Tuesday, February 16, at 10:00 am the SD Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources committee will take on 4 bills. This is compiled using the agenda at the time of composing this post. Agendas can and do change!
One way to listen to these meetings live is via the audio links on the Schedule page of the LRC website. While there you can also view the status board for the meetings as they are going on.
HB 1010 (SoDakLiberty Posts) – Revise certain provisions relating to the development of park and recreational improvements on lands leased to the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
SoDakLiberty Stance: Not Opposed
Prime Sponsors: The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources is the prime sponsor at the request of the Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
This bill was amended in House Ag. This bill intends to allow GFP to make improvements on leased land and get rid of old restrictions that don’t make financial sense in the modern world. The amendment was to clear up conflicts with other statutes.
HB 1010 made it through the House without a No vote.
HB 1082 (SoDakLiberty Posts) – Codify the list of navigable streams requiring gates.
SoDakLiberty Stance: Not Opposed
Prime Sponsors: Rep Mary Duvall (R, Dist 24) and Sen Jeff Monroe (R, Dist 24) are the prime sponsors.
Some of this bill is cleanup. Rep Duvall also noticed that problems with the current law were fixed via administrative rules, which should not be done.
Currently if there is a fence going across certain navigable waters there has to be a gate to allow traffic through. The list in code does not match what is set in rules. This bill updates the list in code. The bill also says any changes have to done legislatively in the future, and not through rules.
HB 1082 made through the House without a No vote.
SB 149 (SoDakLiberty Posts) – Provide for certain reduced state park entrance fees for veterans.
SoDakLiberty Stance: Undecided
Prime Sponsors: Sen Billie Sutton (D, Dist 21) and Rep Paula Hawks (D, Dist 9) are the prime sponsors.
Here is the entire law that would be added.
Section 1. That chapter 41-17 be amended by adding a NEW SECTION to read:
Any person, who has a South Dakota driver license, South Dakota nondriver identification card, or tribal identification card that indicates that the holder is a veteran, may purchase a state park entrance license for one-half the price of the annual license.
Before I go on I’ll say that I am a veteran. But I think it might be getting to a point where too many things are being discounted for veterans. I’m not opposed to this bill, or in favor of it. But I do wonder when bills like this are going to end.
SB 4 (SoDakLiberty Posts) – Provide for the assessment of certain agricultural land as noncropland.
SoDakLiberty Stance: Undecided
Prime Sponsors: Sen Jim Peterson (D, Dist 4) and Rep Mary Duvall (R, Dist 24) are the prime sponsors on behalf of the Agricultural Land Assessment Implementation and Oversight Advisory Task Force.
Here is what I had to say about the bill when it was prefiled, the below statements are based on minutes from the Ag Land Assessment Implementation and Oversight Advisory Task Force:
The piece of legislation would allow grassland to be treated as noncropland.
The original draft of this legislation included this language to determine the classification the guidelines that must be met:
any agricultural land that has been seeded to grass for at least forty years and is used for animal grazing or left unharvested, or is a native grassland
It was amended in committee to the following:
any agricultural land that has been seeded to perennial vegetation for at least thirty years and is used for animal grazing or left unharvested, or is a native grassland,
Public testimony had shown overall support for the bill, but also possible problems with the forty years and “seeded to grass”. After amendment it seemed to get a lot of support and will now be taken up by the legislature. I’m not so sure about the chances of this bill. It will likely be a hot issue. Personally I am softly opposed to this legislation and will remain so until I hear a real good reason to shift tax burden away from certain farmland and on to other land owners.
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