RAPID CITY CRACKERBARREL #2 OF 2011

By Ed Randazzo

Rapid City Crackerbarrel #2 of the 2011 South Dakota Legislative Sessionwas held at the School of Mines on Saturday, 2/5/2011. Once again the house was packed.

Governor Daugaard’s proposed budget and taxes in general dominated the thoughts and minds of the attendees.

The 1st featured legislator to speak was Senator Stan Adelstein (District 32) and he wasted no time in pitching his bill SB174 which would impose a NEW 1% SALES TAX effective only during the June, July and August for the next 3 years. Senator Adelstein claims that this NEW TAX would generate $50 million dollars in revenue and that 74% of voters (according to a poll commissioned by Senator Adelstein) approve of this NEW TAX.

During the Q & A session some of the legislators in attendance expressed their doubts that once a tax is instituted that it would ever go away. In fact, the legislature seems poised to renew a “temporary” sales tax that would have expired this year.  Senator Jeff Haverly (R-35) explained that it was crucial to reduce the expenditures in order to break the cycle of the state spending more than it can afford, the structural deficit. Lance Russell (District 30) warned that we should not assume that revenues will rebound and that federal participation will continue at appreciable levels.

There seemed to be a consensus of the legislators present that Governor Daugaard’s initiative to balance the budget and eliminate the structural deficit without new taxes or the use of reserves through budget cuts would be the wise choice.

Representative Phil Jensen (R-33) cited several recent cases involving crimes perpetrated by those empowered under Shariah law and that there are efforts underway to introduce Shariah law or condone it in this country.

HJR1004, a House Joint Resolution proposes an amendment to the SD Consttitution prohibiting the application of international law, the law of foreign nations, and certain foreign religious or moral codes in the state courts of South Dakota.

I would like to commend all of the citizen legislators who attended and participated in this Crackerbarrel event. Thank you for your service and Godspeed to all.