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Tuesday, January 13, 2009

South Dakota Legislature Bills to Kill

If, as Governor Rounds says, the state of South Dakota must make do with the money it has, and if, as Governor Rounds intends, we are not to put any new taxes into the budget, let's look at some bills that should die right now:
  • HB 1047: The governor's own Department of Tourism and State Development is asking to expand the Economic Development Finance Authority board from five to seven members. Axe the bill. Unnecessary expansion of bureaucracy.
  • HB 1056: a request from the Department of Education to expand locations where classes required by the State Cosmetology Commission may be conducted. Not bad in itself, but lets hoghouse this bill: eliminate the State Cosmetology Commission! Seriously, do we need a special board to oversee manicures?
  • HB 1062: The Brand Board wants to raise the reward for info that helps catch cattle rustlers from $1000 to $5000. I don't like cattle-thievin', but I also don't like giving folks rewards for doing what they ought to feel obliged to do as good citizens. Vote it down.
  • SB 49: Appropriates $2M to cover refunds for sales tax on food for qualifying families. Let's cut out the expensive bureaucratic middleman: repeal the sales tax on food for everybody, help our grocery stores get a little competitive advantage with our neighbors in Minnesota.
  • SB 51: Creates a new drug screening program for applicants to and employees of the Wildland Fire Suppression Division. Have you heard lots of complaints about firefighters inhaling questionable smoke? I didn't think so. More unnecessary bureaucracy!
  • SB 68: The Board of Regents wants to create research park corporations that would be totally separate from the state and thus not subject to open meeting laws or other statutes that allow us to keep track of how public bodies spend their money. I don't know if killing this bill will save us money, but it just sounds fishy. Kill it!
District 8's new Senator, Russell Olson, has said that the job of a legislator is to keep a bunch of new laws from cluttering the books. If that's still your philosophy, Russ, start with this list! I'll get back to you at the crackerbarrel with more!

7 comments:

  1. HB1002 Would increase hunting license fees by one dollar that would be earmarked for county road funds. It could raise around
    $600,000. But because hunting (& fishing) license revenues are tied to federal matching dollars from execise taxes on equipment - the diversion of hunting fund license funds would cost SD up to $8million in federal matching funds.

    HB1003 would "clarify" the law of civil trespass and allow for award of civil damages. So when you kid fetches his ball that rolled into the neighbor's yard (or your dog does, or your cow does) - your neighbor could sue for $500 in damages without proving anything was damaged.

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  2. An excellent, excellent list of bills to kill. Is there some libertarian coming out in you? Congrats!

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  3. There's good legislation and there's bad legislation. Being a liberal doesn't mean believing every conceivable government action is inherently good... just like being a conservative shouldn't mean believing every government action is inherently bad.

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  4. Indeed. Only having a little fun with you.

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  5. No problem, Anon! I just wouldn't want any of my Libertarian friends to suffer bad press from anyone thinking I'm part of their party. ;-)

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  6. Seriously, do we need a special board to oversee manicures?

    Considering the possibly deadly bacterial infections that can be spread by them -- yes, I think we do.

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  7. Infections are a serious problem... but isn't there a general health inspection board into which we could fold those duties?

    ReplyDelete

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