Seth Tupper, John Hult – South Dakota Searchlight
Airports across the state may soon be able to apply for a share of $10 million in state-funded grants to improve, expand and support the future capacity demands of their terminals, thanks to a bill headed to the governor’s desk.
The grants would be issued by the state Aeronautics Commission. Lawmakers said the grants would allow airports access to federal matching funds, thereby extending the value of the state’s investment.
“Some of those could see up to a 90% match for 10% of state investment,” said Sen. Jack Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls.
The House and Senate both approved a conference committee’s negotiated version of the bill Wednesday as lawmakers wrapped up action on several pieces of legislation. The final day of the 2024 legislative session is Thursday, except for a day later in the month to consider any vetoes from the governor.
Help for LifeScape
The House concurred in Senate amendments to a bill that would provide $6 million to the state Department of Social Services to help LifeScape construct a facility with a specialty rehabilitation pediatric hospital, a specialty school for children under 21, an intermediate health care facility for children under 21, and outpatient rehabilitation pediatric services.
LifeScape is a Sioux Falls-based provider of services for children and adults who have disabilities and medical rehabilitation needs.
Noem signs antisemitism bill
Gov. Kristi Noem held a bill-signing ceremony for legislation requiring the state Division of Human Rights to consider a definition of antisemitism when reviewing, investigating or deciding whether an alleged violation of human rights is antisemitic.
The bill establishes that the term “antisemitism” has the same meaning as the working definition of antisemitism adopted by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance.
Porn age verification
A bill that started its legislative journey as an attempt to establish internet age verification to access pornography morphed into a proposed summer study on the topic, then finally died Wednesday after a conference committee couldn’t come up with a compromise on the two versions of the bill.
Several senators expressed a desire to keep working on the issue next year and to possibly appoint a summer study committee. The Legislature’s Executive Board could still select the topic for a summer study.
Sen. Lee Schoenbeck, R-Watertown, said a study is preferable to legislation as the courts work to determine the First Amendment implications of verification laws passed by other states.
He said a measured approach could help the state avoid legal entanglements with organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, which has successfully challenged state laws and policies on First Amendment grounds on several occasions.
“We ought to do it in a way that we don’t keep writing checks to the ACLU,” Schoenbeck said.