Jamison Lamp

The S.D. Legislature has endured 39 days of decision-making. Now with many bills on the governor’s desk, citizens are waiting to see what will become law on July 1.

SB 139 restricted minors from certain tanning devices but died in the Senate.

HB 1125, which restricted wireless communication devices while driving, died in the House State Affairs Committee.

HB 1154 made revisions to the eligibility of the opportunity scholarship. It took a rough ride through the Capitol. The bill passed the House 37-29 but was defeated in the Senate 13- 22 after being voted down in committee and then being reconsidered.

HB 1257 would have allowed guns on state campuses but was effectively killed in the House Education Committee.

Legislators spent much of the session working out the proposed budget cuts Rounds made in December. Many programs were in jeopardy of losing funding.

The Cooperative Extension Service, housed at SDSU, was facing a $1 million cut, but after stimulus dollars and reconfiguration of the budget, Legislators were able to maintain $800,000 of their funds.

The Birth to Three program, which helps families with disabled children, could have been eliminated completely, but Legislators kept funding.

The S.D. State Fair will receive $400,000 in the new budget, down from $750,000 in previous years.

The 2010 fiscal year budget, starting July 1, used $88 million of stimulus money. The budget was balanced at $3.9 billion. The budget is now awaiting Rounds’ signature.

Rounds has until March 30 to sign bills, and the Legislature will meet to consider any vetoes. So far Rounds has vetoed three bills.