As a small businessman, I have the ability to generally pick what legal products I want to sell, and how I want to sell them.
But today, yet another group of big government legislators think they know better than I do about how I should conduct my business, and want to tell me that based on their whim, they want to demand by the force of law that I accept cash.
In part…
House Bill 1048
An Act to require that cash be accepted for certain transactions.
Sponsors: Representatives Sjaarda (prime), Ismay, Jensen (Phil), and Mulally and Senators Peterson (Sue) (prime) and Perry
Section 1. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 37-24:
Except as provided in section 2 of this Act, aperson must accept cash as a form of payment for any goods or services sold to a consumer if:
(1) The sale and payment for the goods or services occurs in person;
(2) The person selling the goods or services, or an individual employed by the person selling the goods or services, is physically present at the time of the sale to accept a cash payment; and
(3) The purchaser of the goods or services chooses to pay the purchase price using cash.
For purposes of this section, “cash” means physical coin, currency, or note that is designed as legal tender by federal law.
So, even though I might have a my own business where I want to have an electronic record of my sales, and I choose to conduct my business through electronic transactions, the state is telling me I now have to have a cash box, go to the bank to load up on cash to be able to make change, and do cash deposits? Some businesses would have to come up with a safe, as well. Oh! And what about larger bills, which has small businesses having to identify counterfeit bills and train employees to do the same?
Thanks, anti-business legislators, for introducing anti-business legislation that NO ONE has asked for.
I would point out that, quoting the US Currency Education Program, “there is no federal law that requires a private business, person, or organization to accept currency or coins as payment for goods or services. While private businesses are free to develop their own policies, there may be state or local laws that specify a requirement to accept cash within certain jurisdictions.”
Key point – “private businesses are free to develop their own policies.” Yet we have a group of big government legislators who want to go BEYOND what the federal government requires.
Remember that South Dakota is Open for Business. That is, at least until the South Dakota Legislature meets.
They’re sounding more and more like Democrats every day.
Here we go…Carl Perry putting his name on every dang thing in the legislature. Even if it looks and sounds completely idiotic…
I guess the shoe fits him….
You are missing the point here; this is not a “cram down” to tell small biz what to do.
It’s a friggin’ protective and positioning move to encourage the use of cash and to make cash an ongoing and viable legitimate transaction payment or compensation method in the face of the coming wave of mandatory Digital ID’s and the imposed use of Central Bank Digital Currencies (aka CBDC’s).
When you combine the pervasive and intrusive use Digital ID’s along with CBDC’s, you have a de facto “Mark of the Beast” system up and running.
Communist China already has a social credit scoring system in place that uses Digital ID’s to control people’s spending, travel, etc.
If you are critical of the CCP regime, it negatively affects your usage of ATM’s, store purchases, getting on a train or plane, etc.
The social credit scoring and control system CAN’T control cash… unless its use is made illegal.
Is there something unclear about predictively connecting the dots regarding the clear and present danger here to our civil liberties?
I’m dumbfounded by how few folks see this dystopian system organizing around us right now!
Facebook, aka Meta, had been censoring some of my posts over the last few years.
The last thing I want is an all digital commerce payment and social credit scoring system that can be programmed to inhibit or block commerce from folks who are on some type of political enemies watch list.
This is a very real threat; I just wrote about it in my most recent newsletter of January 10th:
https://vaxxfacts.substack.com/p/digital-shackles-how-ai-controlled
Amen.
Yes, to that.
Sam, do you buy your tinfoil in bulk?
This bill is absurd. Another far-right crazy solution to a problem that is not a problem; that will have significant implications and impose impositions for South Dakotans far beyond what your narrow, conspiracy theory-focused mind is capable of rationalizing.
For being the ultimate conservative champions, this list of sponsors claims to be, they sure are wasting a lot of taxpayer money by spending their time on bullshit like this, not to mention playing liberal nanny state. Then again, go so far right you end up far left.
I believe that to be a good thing. We do not want a cashless society and do not need digital tracking of “everything” we do or purchase. It would be fine if a few businesses wanted to go cashless, but those of us who prefer to pay with cash would not have an option if all did. One can always say we prefer credit cards. I am guessing most people would honor that. But if I want to buy a candy bar or small purchase I am going to go without rather than use a credit card.
Then be a good consumer, and patronize businesses that will do that. Why do we need more laws that dictate how businesses choose to do transactions?
What’s next? Telling Burger King it’s a felony to not accept bills larger than a $20? Because it’s the same concept.
Starting to reap what the voters have sown.
There are many instances where cash cannot be accepted nor should it be. You want to buy a house with cash? Show up to the title company with a briefcase full of money and expect them to deal with that and expect that small business to accept the liability of holding hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash? Not to mention all the red flags that would raise? That would reek of laundering and the feds would have a stroke. This bill seems shortsighted at best as it would require about a dozen carve outs for businesses that shouldn’t be dealing in cash. I agree that cash is important but be careful with knee jerk reactions and defense of these types of bills until you have thought through the ramifications.
C’mon man.
Going to the extreme makes you look leftist.
Not leftist just concerned with poor legislation. Again, I’m pro cash. Big time. But you need carve outs as it’s not practical for accountants and attorneys and other industries to fall under this law. Other states that have proposed this have done just that. The bill as written, and expected after seeing the names attached to it, is poorly thought out. Expect some serious push back from trade groups and chambers of commerce as these types of bills are largely seen as anti small business.