By Rep. Wollmann
Week three of the 91st legislative session is complete, and our deadline for filing unlimited bills has been met. As of Friday, 299 bills have been filed. This is compared to the 348 bills filed by this time last session. Legislators still have until Feb. 2 to file up to two more bills with the Legislative Research Council.
Things are finally starting to get moving with many debatable bills entering committee and the House floor. A few of the more notable bills are SB 2, which would give counties a 25 percent share of the alcohol beverages fund that is currently split between the state and cities. This bill passed the Senate 28-5. SB 2 would help considerably our county jails, which desperately need additional funding.
As mentioned in last week’s column, HB 1067 will be heard this week in my Commerce & Energy Committee. This bill has been duped the (Any Willing Provider) bill and will make changes to Initiated Measure 17 the Patient Choice Act that was voted on in 2014. I have received overwhelming opposition to this bill from many constituents.
Another piece of legislation that gained a lot of interest in the media was HB 1076, which would have required drug testing for individuals who apply for the temporary assistance for needy families program or for the supplemental nutrition assistance program. As expected, my House Health and Human Services Committee sent it to the 41st day (killed the bill) with a vote of 9-4.
Personally, I am carrying roughly five separate pieces of legislation this year. One that would remove Class 2 misdemeanors from your record automatically after 10 years. Currently, you are able to go through a process to remove them. This would save the courts and individuals time, and allow individuals to move on with their lives. Another piece of legislation would support paraprofessionals looking to gain their teaching certificate. Being a former paraprofessional, I am excited to possibly help out.
Please, as always, contact me with any suggestions or concerns. All emails are much appreciated. On a side note, 2016 is already an election year and I have already started to circulate my petitions. If you are a registered Republican within District 8 and would like to sign my petition, please contact me at Mathew.Wollmann@gmail.com and I will ensure your name is included. It is an honor to serve District 8 and my fellow South Dakotans. God bless.