Governor Rounds on Dakota Midday -- Part 2

Part 2 of Governor Rounds on SDPB Dakota Midday:

Richard from Sioux Falls: Bear Butte buffer good! Thank you for sensitivity to spiritual needs of Lakota people: A landowner by Bear Butte is offering the state a conservation easement; no eminent domain needed. Total cost: $1M+; we have matching funds, just need another $250K. The land is next to the state park; this will preserve the beauty of the mountain and the park, keep commercial structures away. Right to protect whether for nature, beauty, or worship by Lakota.

Carol from SF: smoking ban for public places? It'll come up this session, but do you tell owners of private property that they have to have a smoking ban (well, gee, we can tell owners of private property that they have to have a pipeline -- funny how quickly the governor shifts his principles). And by the way, letting local communities decide won't fly, says Rounds, as legislators will probably want a uniform regulation to avoid differing regs from driving smokers from one town to another. Of course, the state has banned smoking from its facilities; so have the health care facilities.

Jerry from SF: how about a "meaningful seat belt law"? Legislature doesn't want to go that route. Actually not alone: upper Midwest in general has secondary seat belt laws; a lot of folks here just don't like the government telling them what to do. Neither do I, says Jerry, but sometimes government has to step in.

SDPB's Paul Guggenheim asks about open record laws: other states presume openness, we don't. How to balance right to know w. protecting information? Other states' "presumption of openness" not as strong as question suggests. Tell me what isn't available that should be available. "Everything in government is open" means any correspondence, any contact with public officials, etc. all becomes public record (and what's the problem with that, Mike?). Oh, heavens, all your tax information could end up out in the open, warns the governor. Gov. Rounds like the status quo because he doesn't want to violate individuals' right to privacy (oh, very clever crafting of that response), good business prospects for the state -- that's not good for economic development. Let's keep open the documents we are required to keep on record, protect everything else unless the curious party can demonstrate a need for releasing the information.

Evan from Wall: federal pressure means helmet law coming? I haven't seen any federal pressure; Require it for kids, but let South Dakotans make up their own mind.

Ken: an instructor with a concealed weapon permit, disagrees with HB 1086 on "disarming campuses": Governor Rounds predicts first committee will make short work of it! (Profs, students, keep packing heat!) Violate the 2nd Amendment, and criminals will do whatever they want; law-abiding citizens ought to be able to protect themselves.

Gladys from Mitchell: anything being done to reduce property tax? They passed a measure last year, becoming effective Jan 1 this year. "Well, they need to pass another one." (Oh, bless your heart, Gladys.)

Paul G.: running for Senate? I like my job; any info on my run for Senate isn't coming from my office. "Washington DC is a dysfunctional community."

(And remarkably, he didn't say "even better" even once.)