Friday, 2.27.15 ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net the midwest NEWSROOM: RESS AKOTAN [email protected] P D PAGE 3A Legislative Roundup Cougar Hunting Ban Pushed In Neb. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s longest-serving senator is pushing once again to end the state’s mountain lion hunting House Discusses Brand Inspections season. Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha argued Thursday that the BY BOB MERCER women of the world,” Sen. Deb Soholt, population in Nebraska is so small that there’s no need for a state hunting season to manage the animals. State Capitol Bureau R-Sioux Falls, said. The Game and Parks Commission estimates that 22 moun- • REVVING UP: The state House ap- tain lions lived in Nebraska’s Pine Ridge region as of June PIERRE — Livestock haulers trans- proved a change in the taxation struc- 2014. The commission opposes the bill (LB127), saying it porting cattle and horses in western ture for motorcycle rentals by should have the authority to manage the population. South Dakota must get ownership in- dealerships Thursday. Chambers says the 2012 law that allowed mountain lion spections. The state House of Represen- House members voted 64-3 to give hunting was based on irrational fears. If the Natural Resources tatives decided Thursday to make the final legislative approval. SB 93 now goes Committee doesn’t advance it, he says he’ll use procedural permits good for 24 hours from the to the governor for his consideration. tactics to try to pull it from the committee or attach it as an time it is issued, rather than valid only The change would allow motorcycle amendment to other bills. for the date the permit is granted. rentals to be taxed at the same 4.5 per- The vote was 46-21 after a hard- cent rate of gross receipts as cars and fought debate. SB 76 now goes to Gov. trailers. Man Pleads Guilty To Theft, Burglary Dennis Daugaard for his decision Currently motorcycle dealerships RAPID CITY (AP) — A Box Elder man has pleaded guilty to whether it becomes law. buy the bikes and pay the 3 percent ex- burglary and grand theft charges in connection with a six- The measure’s prime sponsor is Sen. cise tax on their purchase prices. The hour-long standoff with law enforcement officials in July. Troy Heinert, D-Mission. Its lead House gross-receipts tax would replace the ex- KOTA-TV reports kidnapping charges against 32-year-old sponsor is Rep. Dean Schrempp, D- cise tax. Raymond Cuny were dropped as part of the plea deal. Authori- Lantry. The Senate approved the bill 27- Dealers want to be ready for the ties say Cuny took a 2-year-old boy hostage during the stand- 6 on Feb. 3. whether to sign it into law. 2015 Sturgis motorcycle rally, according off at a Rapid City home that he was trying to burglarize. No • FOREIGN RITUAL: State senators The House voted 61-6 to approve the to Rep. Dan Dryden, R-Rapid City. He is one was injured during the standoff. voted 34-0 Thursday to ban female geni- measure on Feb. 9. the bill’s lead sponsor in the House. Cuny also pleaded guilty to DUI charges linked to an Octo- tal mutilation in South Dakota and make Sen. Angie Buhl O’Donnell, D-Sioux The bill’s prime sponsor is Sen. Alan ber car crash while he was out on bond. He’s accused of hit- Falls, said Somali people live in her leg- Solano, R-Rapid City. ting two parked city vehicles. No one was hurt. it a felony crime. Sentencing is set for March 26. He could spend up to 22 HB 1089, whose prime sponsor is islative district and didn’t express op- “There’s a pretty huge demand for position to the ban. years in prison, but his attorneys are asking that Cuny be al- Rep. Lynne DiSanto, R-Rapid City, now this service,” Dryden said. lowed to serve sentences concurrently. goes to the governor for his decision “This is a topic that is of concern to Trial Delayed In Fatal S. Falls Car Crash SIOUX FALLS (AP) — The trial of a woman accused of driv- ing through a Sioux Falls parking lot and fatally crushing a Panel Passes Resolution Stressing woman with her van has been delayed while her lawyers wait for the results of a competency evaluation. The Argus Leader reports that Lois Two Bulls, of Sioux Falls, killed 43-year-old Angel Stevens with her van last July. Civic Engagement Education Stevens had jumped in the path of the van to help a 13-year- old boy. Authorities say she was not intoxicated at the time, but BY JAMES NORD North Dakota, which became students learning the con- The measure is backed by charged the 47-year-old Two Bulls with second-degree Associated Press the second state in the na- tent. New social studies stan- the Arizona-based nonprofit manslaughter for “recklessly killing” another person. She’s tion last month to require dards that are under review Joe Foss Institute, which has also facing charges of simple assault and reckless driving. PIERRE — South Dakota the same test that immi- also contain the same infor- a goal of enacting similar laws Attorneys for Two Bulls are arguing that she has a medical education officials agree im- grants must pass to become mation that’s part of the in all U.S. states by 2017, condition and a history of blackouts. proving civics knowledge a U.S. citizen to get a high test, she said. when the Constitution turns among high school students school diploma. Schopp said the resolu- 230 years old. Foss is a for- is important, but they don’t “We need to do it in a tion serves as a way to high- mer South Dakota governor Bill To Expand Family Planning Killed think a mandatory test is the methodology that works for light the importance of civic who died in 2003. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A bill (LB77) that would allow more way to do it. South Dakota,” said Republi- engagement and to focus ef- Georgia Hanson, South women to qualify for Medicaid family planning services has The Senate Education can Sen. Deb Soholt, who is forts on civically minded Dakota coordinator for the stalled in the Nebraska Legislature. Committee unanimously ap- sponsoring the resolution. projects. Civics Education Initiative, a Supporters fell two votes short Thursday of the 25 needed proved a resolution Thurs- “We were not for tying one The law in North Dakota Joe Foss affiliate, said it’s crit- to advance it, while 21 lawmakers opposed it. day to help ensure South test to successful gradua- requires students to correctly ical that students have an ap- Sen. Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha says his measure would Dakota students are learning tion.” answer 60 percent of the 100 preciation of the country’s have prevented unwanted pregnancies, saving the state mil- the content “reflected in” the South Dakota Secretary of questions on the U.S. citizen- history. lions each year and significantly reducing the number of abor- U.S. citizenship exam. It’s Education Melody Schopp ship test to graduate high “We want the youngsters tions in Nebraska. It also would have funneled some of those said the state’s graduation school or earn a GED diploma and the students to be in- savings to the Every Woman Matters program, which funds part of a national effort to cancer screenings and mammograms for women ages 40 to 64. improve civics knowledge requirements, which include starting in the 2016-2017 formed, we want them to be school year; a 70 percent engaged,” Hanson said. “We Opponents argued the bill’s savings were only hypotheti- among high school students, a half-year U.S. government really want to focus on it a lit- cal, and described it as a partial Medicaid expansion. Abortion but doesn’t go as far as course, already entail passing grade will take effect in subsequent years. tle bit more.” opponents said the bill was the incorrect way to effectively re- duce abortions. Omaha Robbery Suspect Shot In Back S.D. Voters To Decide Who Runs Tech Institutes OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Omaha Police Chief Todd BY BOB MERCER doesn’t address who should run the Rave also spoke about the past ef- Schmaderer says a robbery suspect killed this week by police State Capitol Bureau technical institutes. forts by former Senate Republican was shot in the back and that internal affairs and grand jury The local school districts operate leader Dave Knudson of Sioux Falls. investigations will determine whether the shooting was justified. PIERRE — South Dakota voters will the tech schools at Mitchell, Water- “Both of their missions are very dis- Danny Elrod died Monday night after being shot by Officer be asked to change the state constitu- town, Rapid City and Sioux Falls. tinct today,” Rave said about the duties Alvin Lugod. Authorities later determined that Elrod was tion in 2016 regarding governance of They are funded through a combina- of the two state boards. unarmed. public technical institutes. tion of approximately two-thirds tuition “It’s been many years of hard work. Schmaderer detailed the events of the shooting during a The question will be whether to pro- and fees paid by students and approxi- This is the way we need to separate press conference Thursday. The chief says Elrod robbed a hibit the state Board of Regents from mately one-third from state aid. them and give them independence in nearby store of money, then refused police commands to governing the technical institutes and The state Board of Education, whose the future,” he said.