SD Legislature – Floor votes HB 1071 (SD DANR would replace NRC)& Committee vote SB 14 (shooting coyotes from snowmobile)

================================ HOUSE BILLS ————————————————————-HB 1071, Take action – ask your legislator to oppose HB 1071 –  https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24868   –

HB 1071  would let the Governor make agreements with the federal government to extend state authority over uranium mining and milling & other processes with radioactive material . An agreement under this bill would eliminate the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for uranium mining and milling & other processes with radioactive material. This would shut tribal governments out of the permitting process by eliminating requirements for tribal consultation. The public’s ability to learn about & oppose uranium projects would also shrink. PHAS OPPOSES THIS BILL .  BHCWA has an alert on this bill. It was sent to  House State Affairs on Wednesday 1/17/24 – HB 1071 passed out of Committee with one vote against. It is listed for a second reading on the House Calendar for Thursday afternoon -1/18/24 (it will likely be debated & voted on at some time after 1 pm CT). Agenda: https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Committee/1197/Agendas

================================ SENATE BILLS ————————————————————-

Take action – ask committee to oppose Senate Bill 14, – Senate Bill 14 = https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24559 – Would permit taking of coyotes from snowmobiles in certain conditions – hunting from snowmobiles is currently not allowed. PHAS OPPOSES THIS BILL.  In Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on Thursday 1/18/24, 10 am CT,  Agenda: https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/259993.pdf#page=1

On 1/18/24, the bill was amended in Committee and then passed with unanimous consent and placed on consent calendar. It will likely be voted on on the House floor on Monday.  The amendment made it illegal to harass coyotes before shooting them.

Here is a link to a web site with arguments against indiscriminate coyote hunting – file:///Users/mac/Desktop/PC_SAB_Coyote-Facts_FINAL_2020_08.pdf

PHAS web site on the legislature has committee e-mails https://phas-wsd.org/sd-legislature/

senateagnaturalresources@sdlegislature.gov