Argus-Leader from Sioux Falls, South Dakota • Page 7

2001 LEGISLATURE wfww.ygusleadef.coni 7A Arpa Leader. Suna Dakota, Saturday, Fek 17. 2001 LEGISLATIVE 0IIGES one of the safest states in die nation." Abdallah said. PIERRE Senate stalls effort to certify boot camps An effort to start the accreditation process for state reform schools was rebuffed Friday by PIERRE Panel to study whether divorced parents can move Bill wants people living close to kids the state Senate. Corrections Department officials opposed SB157.

which would have provided the groundwork involved in such an effort However, the measure was changed on the Senate floor so the bill carried only a $63,245 price tag and would apply just to losers," Kooistra said. "Oftentimes, it's a tug-of-war, and the children are tOUTM DAKOTA ICGISLATUHE ST PAUL Leslator introduces alcohol tax increase Be prepared to drop another nickel oa cocktails and shell out $120 more for a case of beer if Sea. John Marty succeeds in imposing a new drink tax to fund chemical treatment programs and law enforcement costs. Marty, DFL-RoseviHe, presented his idea for an alcohol user fee Friday to the Senate Crime Prevention Committee. The panel plans to take action on the nickel-a-drink bill Wednesday, although it would be the first step in what Marty expects to be a multi-year effort to get the tax through.

Marty regards the tax as a way to raise $110 million a year to offset alcohol and drug treatment costs for people without insurance coverage, pay for expanded patrols for drunken driving and cover substance-related corrections costs. Its backers also say it wiH reduce alcohol use among young people by making it more expensive. PIERRE Panel OKs immunity for foster parents Foster parents in South Dakota may be getting some additional legal protection. A bill unanimously approved Friday by the House Judiciary Committee would insulate foster parents from damage or injuries caused by foster children. People who agree to care for foster children should not have to accreditation of the boys' boot camp near Custer.

The change was engineered dents, said Sen. Eric Bogue, R-Dupree, prime sponsor of SB20X The legislation goes to the full House next week. It was passed earlier by the Senate. "This bill puts foster parents at exactly the same footing as natural parents, and we think that wiH encourage more people to come forward and be willing to be foster parents," said Neil Fulton, a lobbyist for Gov. Bill Janklow.

The legal protection would be extended to families that take in abused and neglected children who have been taken away from their natural parents by the Social Services Department It also would cover foster families that care for troubled children under the custody of the state Corrections Department PIERRE NOTES DRUO SUSPENSIONS: Lawmakers killed a bill Friday that would have reduced the amount of time students are banned from extracurricular activities for drug convictions. SB220 failed 13-21 in the Senate. The proposal would have reduced the current one-year suspensions to just 60 days if students completed 30 hours of counseling or prevention programs. ASSISTED-UVINQ CENTERS: People who dwell in assisted-liv-ing centers should be informed about all of the costs they must pay for the variety of services offered, lawmakers said Friday. The House Health Committee unanimously passed a bill to require that charges for care and accommodations be prominently displayed at assisted-living centers.

From Argus Leader wire services 11 by ben. Dennis Daugaard. R-Gar- p1 House passes redprodtyfor concealed pistols People from other state should be allowed to carry concealed handguns in South Dakota if those states allow South Dakotans to do the same, legislators decided. HB1239, which would provide reciprocity for people with permits to carry concealed pistols, passed the House 40-28. Rep.

Jim lintr, R-Hermosa, main sponsor, said his wife sometimes carries a handgun in her car to protect herself. "When she crosses the state line, under present law she becomes a criminal And I feel very uncomfortable with that." he saicL Many South Dakotans who travel to other states would like to take their guns along for protection, he said. Only Idaho and Michigan currently honor gun permits from South Dakota; 21 states have reciprocal laws. Rep. Gene Abdallah, R-Sioux Falls, a longtime law enforcement officer and former Highway Patrol superintendent, opposed the bilL It is not necessary to bring concealed pistols into South Dakota, he said.

"I see no need allowing the other 49 states to carry concealed weapons into the state. This is i retson. He said the Dennl BY USA HILTON Associated Press PIERRE A divorced or separated parent who has legal cut-tody of children should not be allowed to move far from the other parent, the Senate State Affair Committee was told Friday. Rep. Clarence Kooistra, R-Gar-retson, said estranged parents who want to stay involved with their children should not be denied that right Kooistra is offering a bin that would prevent a custodial parent from moving a child to another state or more than 50 miles from other parent unless both agree.

Existing law says custodial parents may move if the rights or welfare of children are not harmed. Noncustodial parents may ask judges to stop custodial parents from moving, and judges can deny moves if they are not in the children's best interests. Kooistra said some parents have moved in the middle of the night so their former mates could not find them or the children. He said his bill, HB1144, attempts to solve visitation problems. "What happens now is, you have your winners and your boot camp is a Daugaard good place to start often the trophies.

We have to change that Committee members, however, were unsure what to do with the bill, and a subcommittee was appointed to study the issue. Visitation issues have long been a perplexing problem. Speaking against HB1144, Joni Cutler of the South Dakota Advocacy Network for Women, said current law correctly emphasizes the rights of children and should not be changed. Alaw that would prevent people from moving may have constitutional problems, she added. Judges now consider such things as the ages of the children and the economic situation of parents, she said.

"If the whole goal is that you want to force parents to stay involved with the child by using the law to do that, then why not say that no parent can move away from the child until the child is J8?" Cutler asked. the accreditation process, and it should rip through successfully. "Do we have confidence that our facilities really are up to snuff? Do we have the courage to ask an outside party to come in and look over our shoulder and tell us what they think? Not tell us what we need to do. Not tell us what we must do, because we can reject their findings." Opponents of SB157 said Friday it is not necessary because many improvements have been made in state reform schools to ensure the care and safety of worry about being sued for those youngsters' misdeeds or acci State House kills legislation raising taxes on cigarettes V. Sioux Falls.

The bill would provide the funds needed to pay for programs that encourage young people to quit smoking or never start, Peterson said. Rep. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City, put a different spin on the legislation, suggesting it should be viewed as a health aid. But others said a tax increase is the wrong way to combat tobacco use. Rep.

Don Hennies, R-Sioux Falls, said lawmakers should either ban smoking in the state or refuse to keep penalizing people who light up. PIERRE (AP) -The state tax on cigarettes will not be boosted by 10 cents a pack, nor will smokes be outlawed in South Dakota. Legislators killed a bill Friday that would have raised the tax to 43 cents, stashing the extra dough in programs to help smokers quit and convince others not to start Increasing the tobacco tax by a dime a pack would raise about $5 million a year, said Rep. John Teu-pel, R-Spearfish. The Legislature created a tobacco-prevention fund last year, but it didn't put enough money aside for an effective anti-smoking campaign, said Rep.

Bill Peterson, R- I i BILL UPDATE i ii- PIERRE (AP)-A digest of Friday's action in the South Dakota Legislature: GOVERNOR SIGNED HB1033 Repeals certain provisions regarding the real estate Ncensing examination. HB 1 034 Repeals an exemption from a requirement for real estate licensee errors and omissions insurance. HB1 093- Revises certain provisions relating to transfers of insurance between members of the same insurance group. SB76 -Revises the provisions concerning vetoes and overrides in the aldermanic form of government. SB93-Revises certain provisions related to the investment of permanent school funds and declares an emergency.

SENATE Final Passage HB1039 Subjects certain health insurers to risk-based capital requirements. 34-0. HB1103 Provides certain requirements for prescription labels when a generic drug is dispensed. 34-0. HB1112-Revises school district inventory procedures.

34-0. HB1 113- Revises payment methods for school districts. 34-0. HB114B Authorizes certain activities by golf course designers. 34-0.

H81 1 49 Provides that school districts or school bus contracting companies be notified when the commercial driver license of a school bus driver is suspended or revoked. 34-0. HB1200 Requires certain format standards for real estate documents filed at the register of deeds. 34-0. HB1 21 6- Revises the procedure for filing for a property tax credit for renewable resource energy systems.

34-0. HB1224-Revises certain provisions relating to motor vehicle service contracts, mechanical breakdown insurance, and maintenance agreements. 34-0. Custom Upholstery For Almost Any Seat. Some seats are more elegant than others.

Now you can have the most beautiful, comfortable seat in the house, with custom upholstery from Traditions. We invite you to stop by Traditions and see the season's newest fabrics. And from January 15 through February 28, Traditions offers you up to 50 off select in-stock upholstered items and savings of up to 35 on select custom upholstery. 12. (Needed two-thirds, or 24 voles, to pass) SB51 Provides for the distribution of certain funds from the special revolving fund and the South Dakota-bred racing fund to promote South Dakota horse racing, transfers funds from the special racing revolving fund and the South Dakota-bred racing fund to the Department of Social Services lor domestic and sexual abuse shelter programs, and makes an appropriation.

15-19. SB220 Revises certain provisions relating to the suspension of students from extracurricular activities for certain drug and marijuana offenses. 13-21. SB240 Makes an appropriation for the regents scholarship program. 22-12.

(Required two-thirds, or 24 votes, to pass) HOUSE First Passage HB 1 01 7 Makes an appropriation to reimburse certain family physicians and certain physician assistants who have complied with the requirements of the South Dakota physician tuition reimbursement program or the South Dakota midlevel tuition reimbursement program. 68-0. HB1 142 Appropriates money for leveraging educational assistance partnership grants. 53-13. HB1 187- Revises the time period for adjusting property tax levies for the purpose of maintaining the state's percentage of aid to general and special education.

63-4. HB1 1 89- Revises the method for determining average daily membership as it applies to the state aid to education formula. 39-28. HB1195-Revises certain provisions related to the practice of veterinary medicine. 65-2.

HB1 203 -Appropriates money for the Northern Crops Institute. 66-1. HB1208 Extends the date for filing claims with the subsequent injury fund. 66-0. HB1229- Makes an appropriation to provide grants to out-of-school time programs in the state and declares an emergency.

61-6. HB1 230- Makes an appropriation for the acceleration of the reading enhancement program and declares an emergency. 67-0. HB1231 Appropriates funds from the water and environment fund and the environment and natural resources fee fund, authorizes the state cost share for the Lewis and Clark Rural Water System, and declares an emergency. 67-1 HB1 232 Makes an appropriation for the implementation and development of the electronic- government project and declares an emergency.

53-14. HB1239 Authorizes certain persons to carry handguns who are authorized to carry handguns in other states. 28. HB1 253 Revises certain provisions regarding dealer franchises and includes outdoor power 57-1 1 HB1255 Appropriates money for the restoration of the Hamill Dam. 49-19.

HB1 263-Creates a board of postsecortdary vocational education HB1 271 Provides grants to certain court-appointed special advocate programs and makes an appropriation. 54- HB1278 Revises the definition of barratry. 65-1. HB1279 Authorizes the expenditure of tobacco proceeds for tobacco prevention and cessation programs and for tobacco prevention and cessation programs and for tobacco cessation aids. 56-12.

HB1295 Allows certain interstate shipments of wine. 53-13. Defeated HB1 153 Increases the tax on cigarettes and dedicates the increased revenue to a trust fund. 29-39. HB1 162 Makes an appropriation for children of alumni scholarships.

35-34. (Needed two-thirds, or 47 votes, to pass) HB1163-Exempts certain membership fees from sates and use tax. 25-44. HB1226 Requires South Dakota school districts to provide the names and addresses of certain secondary school students to the Board of Regents and the Department of Education and Cultural Affairs. 20-47.

HB1243 Revises the definition of adjusted average daily membership in the state aid to education formula. 13-54. HB1 296 Appropriates money to the West River Foundation to assist the City of Box Elder. 39-29. (Needed two-thirds or 47 votes to pass.) SB1 4-Provides for grants of tuition and fees to certain students and makes an appropriation.

26-5. SB60-Expands the uses of the special education extraordinary cost fund. 33-1. SB1 18 Makes an appropriation to the ethanol fuel fund. 30-4.

SB1 53 Requires school districts to employ certified personnel in administrative positions. 24-9. SB1 66 Provides for a Streamlined Sales Tax Project Task Force, makes an appropriation, and declares an emergency. 33-1. SB1 76- Clarifies the purposes lor which funds in the special racing revolving fund and South Dakota-bred racing fund may be used.

21-13. SB1 79 Revises the appeal procedure concerning the factor used for valuing agricultural and nonagricultural property. 34-0. SB1 92 Requires certain prescription drug manufacturers and labelers to enter into rebate agreements, establishes a discount prescription drug program for certain individuals, requires retail pharmacies to offer certain discounts, and prescribes penalties and remedies. 28-6.

SB226 Revises and supplements certain powers of the South Dakota Building Authority, provides for the establishment of a corporation by the South Dakota Building Authority for the purpose of raising funds for specified purposes, provides for transfer and sale at any one time or from (me to time of a portion of or all future right title, and interest of the State of South Dakota to certain amounts payable to the state by various tobacco companies under a master settlement agreement in exchange for the deposit of the net proceeds ol such sale into the state permanent tobacco settlement development trust fund, and establishes certain funds. 23-11. SB231 Provides for the prompt payment of certain uncontested health care claims. 28-5. SB239 Establishes the regents scholarship program and provides for its funding.

31 -3. SB242 Affects the sale and pricing of prescription drugs in the State of South Dakota. 32-2. Defeated SB157 Requires the Department of Corrections to seek accreditation by the American Correctional Association, makes an appropriation, and declares an emergency. 22- 320 S.

Phillips Avenue Downtown Sioux Falls (DTI How to contact your legislators 605-3360306 Monday through Friday 9 to 5 and Saturday 10 to 5. To reach a representative: housestate.sd.us. Please include the lawmaker's name in the subject line. For information on the status of a bill, visit the state's web site at www.state.sd.usstatelegis1rc.htm Leave a message for Gov. Bill Janklow at (605)-773-3212, fax 605-773-4711, e-mail sdgovstate.sd.us or write to: Governor's Office, 500 E.

Capitol Pierre, SD 57501-5070. To leave a message for senators, call (605)-773-3821 or representatives call (605)-773-3851. You may write to legislators at: Legislative Post Office, 500 E. Capitol Pierre, SO 57501. If you use specific legislators' names, fax them at (605)-773-6806.

To send e-mail to a senator: senatestate.sd.us. Please include the lawmaker's name in the subject line..