Senate Stands with SDHSAA on Transgender Athletic Policy by BOB MERCER Inserted the Contents from HB “We’Re the Ones, the Legislature, Said
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Thursday, 3.12.15 the midwest ON THE WEB: www.yankton.net RESS AKOTAN NEWSROOM: PAGE 14 P D [email protected] Senate Stands With SDHSAA On Transgender Athletic Policy BY BOB MERCER inserted the contents from HB “We’re the ones, the Legislature, said. “It needs to be looked at right State Capitol Bureau 1145, sending it to the Senate for a that dealt with the students,” Van away.” showdown. Gerpen said. PIERRE — Republican senators The association’s board of di- White said he asked SDHSAA ex- HOW THEY VOTED Mike Vehle of Mitchell and Jim rectors adopted the policy in June ecutive director Wayne Carney how Hereʼs the tally from the Senate on SB White of Huron made the difference as a step to help school districts many schools had contacted the of- 140 that sought to void the high school ac- Wednesday, as the Legislature’s bit- protect against lawsuits over gen- fice with problems. tivities association policy allowing trans- ter fight finally ended over the der discrimination. “Zero. Not one person has come gender athletes. The bill failed 16-18. transgender athlete policy used by Legislators gradually learned of Van Gerpen Hunhoff to them and said there is a prob- Yes – Gary Cammack, R-Union Center. the South Dakota High School Ath- the policy in the fall and some lem,” White said. Bob Ewing, R-Spearfish. Brock Greenfield, letic Association. came to the 2015 session prepared He added that the SDHSAA R-Clark. Jenna Haggar, R-Sioux Falls. “Does an association have the Phyllis Heineman, R-Sioux Falls. Ried Vehle and White, the final to wage battle against it. plans to address the policy in the Holien, R-Watertown. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid names in the roll call, each voted “Now it’s our opportunity to right to supersede a government wake of the Legislature’s struggles City. Dan Lederman, R-Dakota Dunes. Jeff no, as the Senate narrowly failed to weigh in,” one of the opponents, document, in other words, a birth over it. Monroe, R-Pierre. Dave Novstrup, R-Ab- pass legislation that would have Sen. Brock Greenfield, R-Clark, said certificate?” Otten asked. “I submit “I’m not disregarding or saying erdeen. Betty Olson, R-Prairie City. David to you they don’t have that Omdahl, R-Sioux Falls. Ernie Otten, R-Tea. declared void the policy allowing as the debate began Wednesday. the previous speakers are wrong. Jim Peterson, D-Revillo. Bruce Rampel- for transgender athletes. The prime sponsor of HB 1145 authority.” I’m saying someone is going to berg, R-Rapid City. Bill Van Gerpen, R- The measure would have re- was Rep. Jim Bolin, R-Canton, who Among those trading arguments have to take responsibility,” White Tyndall. quired instead that athletes com- maneuvered in the House on Tues- were Sen. Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yank- said. No — Jim Bradford, D-Pine Ridge. pete using the genders on their day afternoon to resurrect it ton, and Sen. Bill Van Gerpen, R- “There are still young people Corey Brown, R-Gettysburg. Angie Buhl Tyndall. OʼDonnell, D-Sioux Falls. Jason Frerichs, birth certificates. through the use of SB 140, a who are going to have be ad- D-Wilmot. Terri Haverly, R-Rapid City. Troy The Senate vote was 16 yes and process known as a hog-house. Hunhoff said the association did dressed in the transgender sector,” Heinert, D-Mission. Bernie Hunhoff, D- 18 no. Passage of SB 140 would The lead sponsor in the Senate “very good work” on the policy. White continued. “Who is going to Yankton. Scott Parsley, D-Madison. Deb have required 18 yes votes. explained Wednesday why he “The last thing this Legislature take that?” Peters, R-Hartford. Tim Rave, R-Baltic. Art should do is interfere with that Rusch, R-Vermillion. Deb Soholt, R-Sioux On Tuesday, the Senate had re- joined Bolin on the bill. Another opponent, Sen. Bob Falls. Alan Solano, R-Rapid City. Billie Sut- fused to debate a similar bill, HB Sen. Ernie Otten, R-Tea, said mi- process,” Hunhoff said. Ewing, R-Spearfish, said the matter ton, D-Burke. Larry Tidemann, R-Brook- 1145, rejecting the request 19-15. nors shouldn’t be allowed to Van Gerpen said there are two was too urgent to spend a year let- ings. Craig Tieszen, R-Rapid City. Mike But later Tuesday the House of choose their genders in contradic- sets of responsibilities. The associ- ting the association work on the Vehle, R-Mitchell. Jim White, R-Huron. Representatives gutted SB 140 and tion of the information on their ation deals with the activities, he policy. Excused – Blake Curd, R-Sioux Falls. birth certificates. said. “We don’t want to wait,” Ewing Nebraska Farmland Tax Bill Stalls B. Johnson Plans To Work BY GRANT SCHULTE said of the plan, crafted by the Omaha-based Platte Insti- With Tribes In Law Firm Job Associated Press tute, a free-market think tank. But opponents noted the bill would lower the state’s BY CARSON WALKER Vikings over the release of a LINCOLN, Neb. — Efforts to lower Nebraska property top tax bracket, which would benefit the wealthy more Associated Press player and for the Fiesta Bowl taxes stalled in a legislative committee on Wednesday, than the middle-class. They said it would eventually in Arizona after allegations of including one measure backed by farm groups and Gov. leave the state with a $120 million budget hole that fu- SIOUX FALLS — Brendan wrongdoing surfaced. He said Pete Ricketts, but the panel did support a tax break for ture lawmakers would have to address. Johnson returns to private the presence of an office in the personal property used by businesses. The committee advanced a bill that would create a practice in a job he says will state will allow clients to tap A bill to lower the taxable value of Nebraska farmland tax exemption for equipment, furniture and other per- build on what he did during his the expertise and resources of a received only two votes of support on the eight-member sonal property used by businesses. 5 1/2 years as U.S. attorney for large law firm known nationally Revenue Committee. The Republican governor and the Sen. Mike Gloor of Grand Island, the Revenue Com- South Dakota. for its work in the courtroom. Nebraska Farm Bureau supported the measure, but op- mittee’s chairman, said it would return about $6 million He left that position Wednes- “There are times when we ponents said it would shift the tax burden to residential to Nebraska farmers who pay taxes on tractors, com- day to open a Sioux Falls office represent corporations when homeowners and prompt local school districts to raise bines and other equipment while not rewarding out-of- for the Minneapolis-based law they have commercial litigation. state landowners. firm Robins Kaplan LLP. He said But there are times when we rep- tax levies to make up for lost revenue. resent regular individuals Opponents also said the measure, which would lower “Every little bit helps,” Gloor said. “We’re still talking he’ll spend about 40 percent of his time in South Dakota and who’ve been harmed or injured,” the taxable value of farmland from 75 percent to 65 per- about moving forward.” Johnson said. “With this law cent, was mostly symbolic because it wouldn’t deliver Gloor said the state’s budget-focused Appropriations the rest in Minneapolis and other places the firm does firm, it is on both sides of the ‘V,’ the savings that farmers wanted. Committee has already proposed an additional $45 mil- if you will.” The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Lydia Brasch of Bancroft, said lion annually for the state’s property tax credit fund, business. “We’ll really be focused on Some South Dakota Democ- farmers and ranchers have repeatedly called on lawmak- which reduces what all homeowners and landowners rats had hoped Johnson would pay. fewer numbers but really qual- ers to act and urged committee members to advance the ity cases where we believe the run for the Senate seat left open bill to show they listened to those concerns. Ricketts In addition, he said the state faces higher costs for firm can make a significant dif- when his father, U.S. Sen. Tim has argued that soaring values of agricultural land have Medicaid, the Department of Health and Human Serv- ference in the litigation,” said Johnson, retired in January, but created an unsustainable situation for farmers and ices, and state’s embattled prison system. Lawmakers Johnson, who was previously he said he has no political plans. ranchers, but values have recently started to dip. have about $41 million at their disposal for legislative precluded from talking about First Assistant U.S. Attorney The second rejected bill would have phased in in- priorities that aren’t already part of the two-year budget. his plans because of Depart- Randy Seiler will serve as acting come and property tax cuts over eight years. But the Gloor said lawmakers could still act on other tax bills U.S. attorney. On Wednesday, he ment of Justice rules. said he plans to formally seek bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jim Smith of Papillion, pulled the leg- this year, but the larger problem lies with Nebraska’s He said much of his work islation after the committee rejected an amendment school-aid formula, which distributes state money to the nomination, which requires will be representing Native Senate confirmation. He said he meant to make it more appealing by cutting the cost to school districts.