A Look at Week Two

HB 1057.  Making Certain Transgender Surgeries and Treatment on People Under the age of 18 16 a Felony Misdemeanor.

After amending the bill to reduce the penalties from felonies to misdemeanors and changing the age of those affected from 18 to 16 years old, this bill had its hearing before the House State Affairs Committee Wednesday morning.  HB 1057 had a very thorough hearing and turns out to be an extremely technical bill dealing with the impact of hormone treatments and whether or not those treatments are reversible.  This is one of those bills that bring scrutiny of scientific claims, philosophical and religious dogma and experiences of real people.  Overall, the hearing was well-run and accomplished the goal of offering both sides an opportunity to state their case.  

Proponent testimony was almost exclusively offered via Skype by out-of-state experts focusing on the medical and psychological aspects of treatments.  They took up all of time allotted to each side and precluded in-state groups from offering testimony. 

The Chamber was among a group of virtually all local opponents that testified in person.  This testimony was wide ranging and covered medical, psychological, social and economic consequences of HB 1057.  

Here is the list of proponents and opponents that offered testimony during the hearing.

Proponents:

Sydney Wright, self, Georgia

Mike Laidlaw , self, California

Lynn Meagher, self, Washington State

Natasha Chart, self, Washington D.C.

Bernie Hudson, self, Tennessee

David Pickup, self, Texas

Glenn Ridder, self, Sioux Falls

Kara Dansky, self, Washington D.C.

Scott Newgent, self, Texas

 

Opponents:

Dean Krogman, SD Medical Association

Dr. Flynn, self, Sioux Falls

Michaela Seiber, self

Mitch Rave, Sanford Health

Michelle Schimelpfenig, Sanford Health

Dr. Alana Al Nofal, Sanford Health

Dr. Kappenman, self, Sioux Falls

David Owen, SD Chamber of Commerce

Bill Van Camp, SD Retailers Association

Debra Owen, Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce

Candi Brings Plenty, American Civil Liberties Union

Dr. Naomi Lundeman-Smith, Leaders Engaged and Determined SD

Kim Parke, self, Sioux Falls

Quinncy Parke, self, Sioux Falls

Susan Williams, self, Sioux Falls

Roger Tellinghuisen, Human Rights Campaign  

 

HB 1057 passed out of House State Affairs Committee with a vote of 8-Yes to 5-No. 

Here is that vote:

Voting Yes: Dennert, Goodwin, Gosch, Hansen, Haugaard, Kevin Jensen, Beal, and Qualm

 

Work on driver’s license manual and written exam in Spanish continues. 

Coalition adds members.

 

There is a growing number of groups that support the idea of helping a portion of the 35,000 Spanish-speaking people in South Dakota understand the rules of the road and allow them to become licensed drivers so that they can join the workforce. 

There is no bill number yet because the coalition is working on getting legislators to add their names as co-sponsors of the bill.  Below is a summary of the effort to this point:

Sponsors: Senator V.J. Smith and Representative Tim Reed

Co-Sponsors: Senators Brock Greenfield, Jim White and Blake Curd and Representatives Doug Barthel and Jess Olson

Proponents include:

• Chambers of Commerce

o   Brookings

o   Rapid City

o   Sioux Falls

o   South Dakota (State Chamber)

• South Dakota Truckers Association
• S.D. Municipal League
• Association of General Contractors
• Avera
• Sanford
• S.D. Lodging Association
• S.D. Manufactured Housing
• Sioux Falls Multi Cultural Center
•  Aberdeen Development Corporation
• Brookings Economic Development Corp.
• Huron Development Company
• Vermillion Development Corporation
• Presentation Sisters of Aberdeen
• S.D. Home Builders Association
• South Dakota Voices for Justice

 

Governor Noem: Streamline professional and occupational licensing

During her State of the State Address, Governor Noem said that she had instructed the departments responsible for issuing professional and occupational licenses to review the requirements in an effort to make them more efficient while still protecting public.

The following bills were heard in front of Senate Commerce and Energy Committee and are part of Governor’s Noem’s work to improve the licensing of South Dakota businesses and professionals. 

SB 13 revise certain educational requirements for the practice of barbering (Introduced) Introduced by: The Committee on Commerce and Energy at the request of the Department of Labor and Regulation.  The bill removes the requirement to document high school graduation or equivalent to secure a barber’s license because the advanced schooling requires proof of that level of education.   It also allows some of the education needed for a barber’s license such as anatomy or controlling infections to be learned in venues other than barber school.

SB 23 repeal the high school graduation or equivalent requirement for certain licensed professionals (Introduced) Introduced by: The Committee on Commerce and Energy at the request of the Department of Labor and Regulation.  In the same way as with barber’s education in SB 13, the requirement to document a high school graduation or equivalent will be removed for the following occupations because the schools that certify the skills already deal with that documentation.  This list of occupations includes:

·       Advanced Life Support

·       Chiropractors

·       Optometry

·       Registered Nurse

·       Licensed Practical Nurse

·       Licensed Pharmacist

·       Funeral Director

 

Join us for Business Day at the Legislature, Thursday, February 20, 2020

Business Day at the Legislature reflects our role as a leading voice of business by bringing local business and community leaders to Pierre for updates on legislative activities and participation in the Business Caucus.  Business Day includes speakers on timely and business-related issues, networking opportunities, recognition of business and legislative advocates -- and of the manufacturing industry -- and provides an opportunity to spend time at the Capitol during session. 

SCHEDULE

1:30 PM  Registration
2-3:30     Business Caucus & Legislative Update
3:30-5     Time at the Capitol
4:00        Special Legislative Topic Discussion at the Capitol
5-7:00     Economic Developer's Reception and Manufacturer's Showcase -- Jobs and Innovation
                        Special program featuring:

                                    Annual Chamber Awards (recipients announced next week)
                                    Guest Speaker Bob Sutton, President and CEO, Avera Health
7 PM       Adjourn

Business Day is made possible by the following generous sponsors:

First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard
Microsoft
Black Hills Energy
Fredrickson & Byron, P.A.
Midco
NorthWestern Energy
Pfizer
Daktronics
Lawrence and Schiller
Williamson Management Group

Thank you for your support of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry!

 

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Contact | 605-224-6161