Action on the House floor tomorrow(Tue), 2pm(1pm Mt time). Before then, please ask representatives to oppose SB89, SB90, and SJR501.
SB89 and SB90. (deferred from today to tomorrow) These are the bills with the 15-day eviction and loss of pre-court notice that an eviction is coming. (a recipe for more homelessness!) They make evictions quicker and easier for landlords, making it harder for tenants to re-locate, to fight wrongful evictions, and to hold unscrupulous landlords accountable. Please ask representatives to Oppose these.
SJR501 forces voters to re-vote on Medicaid expansion “simply to clarify”(words of bill sponsor today) about whether we would want to let SD require low-income people to work for their healthcare, if the feds allow that again. The corollary is that people could (I could say, will) actually lose their healthcare when they fall through whatever cracks such a program would create.
We voted for Medicaid expansion deliberately – with no if’s, and’s or but’s! The legislature should respect our vote.
Sorry to report, it passed committee today (11-2). Before the House votes on it tomorrow afternoon, Please ask representatives to Oppose 501.
In committee:
HB1244 will get a vote in Senate State Affairs committee on Wed 2/28, 10am(9am Mt). So here’s an opportunity to defeat it. It interferes with our citizen rights to initiative and referendum. Allowing signature withdrawals is designed to disrupt our initiative process. It’s a so-called cure for changed minds, when we already have a cure: Vote how you want on the ballot! Urge senators to OPPOSE it (corrected from last time). Casey.Crabtree@sdlegislature.gov ;Sydney.Davis@sdlegislature.gov ; Randy.Deibert@sdlegislature.gov, Helene.Duhamel@sdlegislature.gov ; Reynold.Nesiba@sdlegislature.gov, Michael.Rohl@sdlegislature.gov ; Lee.Schoenbeck@sdlegislature.gov ; Erin.Tobin@sdlegislature.gov, David.Wheeler@sdlegislature.gov;
These contacts may feel like an exercise in futility. This year’s legislature seems hell-bent on keeping low-income people down. Shall we count the ways?! But legislators should hear from citizens that we are not liking the way our low-income neighbors are being treated. Thus, we make our contacts, and I thank you.
Cathy B.