Latest news with #MykalaVoita
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
No ban on cell-cultured protein in South Dakota
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — There won't be a 10-year ban on cell-cultured protein in South Dakota after all. The state Senate reconsidered House Bill 1109 on Thursday. It failed on a 16-19 vote. Derby: House will vote Friday on new prison That came one day after the Senate deadlocked 17-17 on whether it should receive final legislative approval. Republican Sen. Mykala Voita pitched it Wednesday and asked for the reconsideration on Thursday. The House of Representatives had passed it 42-26. Two other bills regarding cell-cultured meat and protein have made it to Gov. Larry Rhoden's desk. The governor has signed into law House Bill 1022 that prohibits misbranding of any cell-cultured protein or product. HB 1022 Still making its way to him is House Bill 1118, which would prohibit any state spending on behalf of cell-cultured protein. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Guns-on-campus bill surrenders collective safety to the feelings of a few
Sen. Mykala Voita, R-Bonesteel, listens to a speaker during a meeting of the South Dakota Legislature's Joint Committee on Appropriations on Jan. 21, 2025. Voita is the sponsor of a bill that would allow concealed handguns on college campuses. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight) The 33 state senators who voted Feb. 12 to allow concealed-carry handguns on South Dakota's college campuses sounded positively giddy with themselves as they passed Senate Bill 100 and sent it on to the House of Representatives. Listening to the chamber congratulate itself on passing this bill, which Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, described as possibly the 'finest piece of legislation we will deal with all year,' was galling to many South Dakotans. It certainly was to me, and others like me, who simply don't believe that the Second Amendment is so sacred and sacrosanct that it takes precedence over public safety, common sense and the collective good. Mehlaff absurdly went on to suggest that Senate Bill 100 might just be the best bill he's ever seen in the Legislature. Really? The best bill ever? I can only imagine governors from Peter Norbeck to Dick Kneip to Bill Janklow rolling over in their graves. Hyperbole like that is proof that our Legislature truly has become a far-right echo chamber that speaks to a very narrow base of voters — those who put individual gun rights over the public good. What SB 100 will do, if and when it is passed by the House and becomes law, is prevent the South Dakota Board of Regents from having a policy prohibiting concealed carry of handguns on campuses at state universities and technical schools, as all currently do with most guns. Today, it's still against the rules for students to carry a handgun to class or other college events, although individual schools have created some limited exceptions for other guns on campus. Bill to allow concealed pistols on college campuses clears state Senate Mehlhaff was far from the only senator tripping over himself to praise the bill and its prime sponsor, Sen. Mykala Voita. She's a young freshman legislator from the Bonesteel area who got kudos from many of her fellow legislators for crafting an amendment to her original bill that addressed some of the Board of Regents' concerns. Instead of letting any student keep a handgun in their dorm room and carry it to class if they wish (as the original bill, unbelievably, would have done and as Voita made clear she still prefers), SB 100 now allows only gun owners who have qualified for an enhanced concealed carry permit to have a pistol on campus. Also, guns will still be prohibited in a few sensitive areas. Only in today's political climate, and its guns-are-good-everywhere culture, would this concession to common sense seem worthy of high praise. But that's where we're at in South Dakota now, a place where I once encountered a man carrying an AR-15 rifle at a summer festival. Voita said she carries a firearm much of the time. As a female who has lived in South Dakota for most of my 66 years, I don't share Voita's apparent fear of our fellow residents. I can, however, see that a pistol in their purse may give some female students a sense of security as they walk across campus in the dark. Good for them, and any potential crime they deter. But what SB 100 won't do is make any South Dakota college campus a better, safer place for all students — 'all' being the operative word here. It's important for Voita and every other legislator who votes for this bill to be clear about the exact cost of that pistol in the purse. The individual right to carry it, and the peace of mind it affords, comes at the expense of every other student, all of whom are now at a greater risk of gun violence simply due to the very presence of more guns on campus. Many of them will now add to their list of college worries the stress of wondering who in their classrooms or cafeterias is carrying a loaded handgun. Voita naively believes that is not true, but all the data on gun violence prevention proves otherwise. More guns — in any environment, for any reason — increases the risk that one of them will injure or kill someone. It is, sadly, inescapable and inevitable that if we allow guns in places and at an age when alcohol overconsumption, impulsivity and poor choices are still commonplace, some of those guns will be misused. Often by the gun owner themselves. Easy access to a gun is the common denominator in so many gun violence injuries and tragic deaths, whether it be a suicide, an unintentional shooting or an act of simple negligence. And there is absolutely no evidence that more guns on campus can prevent a mass shooting event. The belief that a good guy with a gun trumps a bad guy with a gun is mostly a marketing ploy created by a gun industry that only wants to sell more guns. I will grant you that SB 100 may make some students feel safer. But in reality, it will make all students less so. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 bills on firearm legislation in South Dakota
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Five bills relating to gun regulations and restrictions in South Dakota have been introduced during this year's legislative session. They range from prohibiting firearm restrictions on college campuses and allowing them for employees in government buildings. Here's a breakdown of the bills and where they are at: SB 100 prohibits the restriction of carrying concealed pistols on college campuses. If passed, no Board of Regents or public technical education institutions could restrict the lawful carrying of a concealed pistol, stun gun or pepper spray. The bill's prime sponsor, Sen. Mykala Voita, has proposed two amendments to the bill, although they haven't been voted on yet. The first amendment would require that the individual carrying a concealed pistol has an enhanced or restricted enhanced permit. The second would amend the bill to limit restrictions rather than prohibit them: Board of Regents or public technical education institutions could restrict concealed pistols in a designated portion of the building only if: Significant hazardous materials, more than 55 gallons of flammable liquid, or cylinders containing corrosive gasses are present A room is used for scientific research or manufacturing and has concentrated airborne particles Areas where federal security clearance is required During a special event where metal detectors are present SB 100 passed with a 7-2 vote in the Senate State Affairs Committee and is scheduled for debate on the Senate floor February 12. SB 81 would prohibit financial institutions from using firearms codes to flag transactions involving firearms, ammunition and other accessories. A firearms code is an indicator that financial institutions such as banks put on a transaction that identifies whether the seller is a firearms dealer or whether the transaction was for firearms or ammunition. The bill also says no government agency or person can keep a record of privately owned firearms except its owner. The exception is records kept during a criminal investigation. If a financial institution is found using firearms codes, they may be subject to a civil penalty of $25,000. Republican Sen. Jim Mehlhaff introduced the bill and worked with financial institutions, the National Rifle Association and retailers in the state to create the legislation. SB 81 passed through the Senate as well as the House and Senate Commerce and Energy Committees with little opposition. It heads next to the House and if passed, will go to Gov. Larry Rhoden's desk. HB 1222 expands who is allowed to carry a gun on school grounds. Currently, anyone who carries a weapon onto school property is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. The exceptions include law enforcement officers, a starting gun for sporting events, supervised firearm training, and individuals who hold an advanced concealed carry permit and have written permission from the principal. HB 1222 aims to include individuals with a concealed carry permit who could then carry on school property, but not in buildings used for class instruction. The bill is scheduled for its first hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on February 12. Republican Rep. Kaley Nolz introduced the bill. Under HB 1218, county commissioners, township supervisors or government municipalities wouldn't be allowed to prohibit or restrict a county, township or municipal employee, officer or volunteer from lawfully carrying a concealed firearm in a government building. Republican Rep. Aaron Aylward from Lincoln County introduced HB 1218. It was referred to the House Local Government Committee, but does not have a hearing date set. HB 1080 would void any agreements that prohibit or restrict the possession or use of firearms and ammunition. A 'covenant running with the land,' per the language in the bill, is an agreement that transfers to future owners of the same property. For example, there may be a covenant requiring certain yard maintenance; these agreements are common in home owners associations (HOAs). In this instance, if a covenant was made that restricted future land owners from the types of firearms used on that land, those agreements would be void if the legislation becomes law. 'I as a land owner cannot write a covenant on the land I own to tell an owner years or decades or centuries from now, 'They can't hunt on that land or have a gun in their house to protect themselves and their families,'' said the bill's prime sponsor, Republican Rep. Drew Peterson, in a committee hearing. The bill unanimously passed in House Judiciary and had one 'nay' vote on the House floor. It now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
