Theresa Stehly to discuss SB166 on Viewpoint University
l3wis Theresa will be on at 4:30 today with her take on what happened on Friday in Pierre with SB166, she was present in the audience when Brown tabled the bill.
State Legislature
SB166, it’s all about the kids!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuTuMGyLd3U[/youtube]
Give me a break. Why are the kids answering your phone anyway Ernie? And BTW, several constituents showed up to testify, and you and the committee didn’t allow the ‘intellectual’ conversation. Piss and moan about the ‘kids’ all you want, but your ilk continue to hide behind the morality and constitutional argument (which is weak at best).
Let’s face it, you are butt hurt that the Democrats have been handing you your asses on initiatives and you don’t have complete control. Pull the fairytale constitution, from your rear ends and start governing like logical human beings. A democracy is built around the people, not rhetoric, not 20-year old lawsuits and certainly not about answering services.
Let me repeat that, PEOPLE! LIVING PEOPLE!
Now turn on your cell phone, your emails and carrier pigeons and listen to the PEOPLE!
BREAKING: SB 166 Tabled
I got a call about 12:30 that the bill has been ‘tabled’ by it’s sponsor, Corey Brown. This of course means there is a possibility it could return, but from another sponsor, but after the backlash, that is highly Unlikely.
Brown said the negative backlash is what made him decide to table it. And rightfully so. The only negativity is the arrogance that he wielded thinking he could push this through. I think they thought this would go under the radar, but over 30 papers across the state published editorials and columns about the detriment of the proposed bill.
I would like to give a big thumbs up to Theresa Stehly who helped spearhead the opposition by contacting statewide media and other legislators. I would also like to thank SD Bread for the World, SD Peace and Justice Center, Gordon Howie and Rick Weiland and the SD Democratic Party for getting the message out.
Don’t mess with the voice of the people.
Friday is a big day for the Senate State Affairs Committee
The Senate State Affairs is hearing the GOP’s bill to chip away at your right to propose and vote on laws on Friday, November 6, 2014 at 9 or 10am (The Brown Bill 166)Â (You can listen by clicking the podcast link here.)
They will also be tackling the budget issue HJR1001. This editorial says it all;
“South Dakotans who think a balanced budget amendment is common sense fail to realize both the complexity of a national economy and the dependence small states have on the federal government.”
I also find the irony and hypocrisy of giving themselves a raise. $6,000 for 40 days of work ain’t bad, considering if it was a full-time gig they would be making about $50K a year. But the hypocrisy comes from not wanting to raise teacher wages and trying to fiddle with the minimum wage increase. So this is my suggestion to the State Legislature, put it on the ballot and let the citizens of SD decide if you need a raise.
OPPOSE SB135 – Giving cities the power to raise taxes
Before 10:00am tomorrow, please contact these Senators urging them NOT to let cities have more sales tax. Ask them to OPPOSE SB135.
This bill allows cities to add another 1% city sales tax, for special projects with a vote of the people. So few people vote in city elections, that it would be easy for people behind special projects to get their supporters out and overwhelm a city election, raising the most regressive tax we have.
• This would be a 50% increase in sales tax revenue for a city! (the current 2%  to 3%)
• Sales tax is the most regressive tax we have, meaning the lower-incomes are burdened more, and upper incomes are affected less.
• Sales tax takes food off tables in South Dakota. In families with limited budgets, food is often the flexible part of the budget, and the tax takes food away. Think about how much 6% tax takes out of a $20 bill. (Many low-income household do NOT get food stamps. Many others receive only partial allotments of food stamps and must buy some food with cash.)
• Already at 6% (4% state + 2% city) the total sales tax you pay on food over a year is equivalent to 3 weeks worth of food. A new 1% would add another half a week to that problem.  (.07×52 weeks = 3.65 weeks)
• At one time SD had a strict limit for city sales tax on groceries. But this limit was taken off, and over the past decade SD cities have raised their tax on food from 1% to 2%. By doing this, they already received an increase in sales tax revenue that they continue to reap every year.
(FYI- Background info: Under the “streamlining rules,” city sales tax may not be lower on some things than other things. Thus, we cannot go back to the previous 1% limit on food for cities. However, states are allowed to have lower rates on food and utilities, even zero, which we hope will be accomplished with HB1193.)
• • Many utilities are taxed. (You can see this on your monthly bills.) Cities receive more revenue every time these utility rates go up, as well as when food prices rise.
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Senate State Affairs committee votes on this tomorrow (Wednesday Feb.4)
Here are their email addresses. Write them individually, not all in one email.
Or, call and leave a message tomorrow morning before 10:00 am
605-773-3821 for senators. You can ask that it be delivered to 2 senators.