Latest news with #HB1108
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to help clean up McCook Lake dies in committee
UNION COUNTY, S.D. (KCAU) — South Dakota House Bill 1108 would have created a contingency fund for the restoration of McCook Lake. However, the bill was sent to the 41st day by the House Appropriations Committee, killing the proposal. McCook Lake is a state-owned lake, and the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks (GFP) is in charge of cleaning the lake. GFP hasn't even done an assessment of the damage yet, though, so the cost of restoration isn't known yet. SD House denies reconsideration of prison funding bill 'The progress in terms of cleaning up McCook Lake has been very slow,' McCook Lake Association President Dirk Lohry said. 'It's been eight months since we had this flood on June 23. The Game, Fish, and Parks, which is now in charge of the lake's restoration has been very slow in terms of getting anything done. Their first step is to get a scope of what it takes to get the clean-up done. Once they get the scope done, which is supposed to be next week, but we're crossing our fingers.' Once GFP gets done with its assessment of the damage to McCook Lake, they will take bids on the restoration. The concern with the McCook Lake Association is that they don't know how much restoration GFP is going to do and they don't know the cost or if they will need extra money, which HB 1108 would have addressed. 'The importance of this bill is we aren't real sure what their scope is going to be,' Lohry said. 'It could be to bring the lake back to where it was before, or they could just say it kind of looks fine. Having a tree out in the middle of the lake is kind of natural and we don't think we need to do much of anything other than to just surface, types of things. So that has us concerned.' According to the association, because of the slow progress, one concern is the usability of the lake. Right now, it's not clear if the lake will be usable this summer. Two baby girls surrendered under Iowa Safe Haven Law in February 'Our problem is this lake drains every year, and we'd like to fill it up again and make the lake usable,' Lohry said. 'All of our house values have dropped because there's not a usable lake here. We would like to have a usable lake this summer.' According to South Dakota State Representative William Sharma, who represents McCook Lake, the hope is that once GFP finishes its assessment and the cost of restoration is known, if more money is needed, they can try again next year to get the bill passed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House panel says no to McCook Lake fund
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The South Dakota Legislature will not set aside any additional dollars for clean-up of McCook Lake. McCook Lake flood: Did the mitigation plan make things worse? House Bill 1108 would have created the McCook Lake contingency fund and to transfer moneys to the fund. On Monday, HB1108 was sent to the 41st Day by the House Appropriations Committee which effectively kills the bill in a 7-2 vote. HB1108 sponsor Republican Rep. Chris Kassin said the set aside money would be to cover needed gaps in the clean-up of McCook Lake. 'This is to help restore the lake, which is a state-owned lake,' Kassin said. Kassin and other bill supporters have said in prior legislative testimony the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department plans to clean-up the lake which was damaged in the June flood. The lake has cars, trees, lawn chairs, portions of structure and other debris. The concern is that there may not be enough money to thoroughly clean the lake. Kassin's original version had asked for up to $2 million but the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee changed that to $1 to allow House Appropriations to discuss the bill. 'I appreciate Representative Kassin bringing this bill forward,' said committee member Republican Rep. Liz May. 'My frustration is Game, Fish and Parks has not made this a priority.' With the recent attention to the needed clean-up of the lake, May said she expects the GFP to make it a priority. Committee member Republican Rep. Scott Moore moved to send it to the 41st Day. There was no discussion after that motion. Although she appreciated the bill, May voted to send it to the 41st Day. Kassin and Democrat Rep. Eric Muckey voted against the move to kill the bill, while Moore and fellow Republican Representatives Mike Derby, Terri Jorgenson, Jack Kolbeck, Al Novstrup and John Sjaarda voted in favor of the 41st Day. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
McCook Lake bill waits for panel action
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The possibility of more state money to help clean up McCook Lake from the June flooding will wait for action in the House Committee on Appropriations. House Bill 1108 would provide state money to create a fund to help 'make grants to cover costs associated with cleaning up and restoring McCook Lake, including the replacement of pipes for the McCook Lake pumping system, and flood mitigation planning for McCook Lake.' Age verification bill passes through Senate committee The bill originally had up to $2 million attached but on Feb. 11 the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee changed it to read $1 so that appropriations could determine a specific dollar amount. Appropriations committee chairman Republican Rep. Mike Derby recommended the bill's sponsor Republican Rep. Chris Kassin and bill supporters meet with the state's Game Fish and Parks to discuss what the GFP plan is to dredge and clean the lake. Kassin said in his earlier testimony that HB1108 is designed to help pay for clean-up that may not be covered under the GFP plan. The lake has cars, pieces of structure, trees and other debris in it from the June flooding, bill supporters said. 'We're concerned (the GFP) will do a simple job and remove three islands (created by the flood),' said Dirk Lohry of the McCook Lake Lake Association. At least 103 houses were damaged in the flood, said Chris Bogenrief of the lake association. Twenty-one have been demolished. During the flooding, residents 'saw a wall of corn cobs four-feet high flowing toward us,' he said. 'Anything in you'd have sitting in your yard…is now in the lake sitting there,' bill supporter Republican Rep. Bill Shorma said. Members of the association and others are disappointed in how slow the GFP process has been, Lohry said. The GPF plans to take bids in April, with construction to start in June, he said. Bill supporters are also seeking to use the proposed state money to replace pipes used for a water pumping system that releases and takes in water for the lake. The operation of that system is about $100,000 a year. Bogenrief said private donors that include lake residents pay for about 75% of the cost, while North Sioux City pays for about 25%. Derby also asked why McCook Lake is still a state-owned lake and not a private lake. State water laws prevent the lake from become a privately-owned lake, said Duncan Koch of the state's Bureau of Finance Management (BFM). While McCook Lake is a state-owned lake, the state has no obligation to pay for the pumping system, Koch said. 'If the state creates a fund for McCook Lake, it would be creating a precedent for similar funds to be created in the state,' Koch said in the BFM's opposition to HB1108. Money from the bill could also be used to help pay for a new flood mitigation plan for the lake. Supporters said the plan used in June was from the 1970s when the lake dwellings were mainly fishing type shacks. Koch also said HB1108 would create a duplication of funds that the state already provides. Committee member Democrat Rep. Eric Muckey asked for more details on duplication. Koch said the duplication is in emergency disaster reimbursement funds but that he would also need more information from the state's Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
