College frosh, sophs can't choose to live off-campus
SD Senate votes to maintain child marriage
House members argued for a half hour on Tuesday about a proposal from Republican Rep. Phil Jensen to let them have the freedom to sleep and eat where they choose. In the end, House Bill 1193 failed on a 28-42 vote.
'Dorm life isn't great,' Jensen said.
But Republican Rep. Mike Stevens called for the bill's defeat. He said the Legislature had committed to $87 million of bonds for student housing that would be at risk if freshmen and sophomores weren't required to live there. That could affect bond ratings for other governments when they want to borrow, he warned.
'That impacts everybody across the state,' Stevens said. He noted that students can apply for exemptions to live off-campus.
Republican Rep. Bobbi Andera called for the House to focus on who would potentially benefit from the proposed change. 'This is about our children and their choices, and their parents' choices,' she said.
Jensen in closing brought up another point. 'Students amass an incredible amount of debt during the four years or five years or six years to get a degree,' he said.
KELOLAND News spoke with people in Brookings about the proposal last week.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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