It looks like crazy will be in full force in House Education Committee in the AM, with an awful slate of legislation on deck. Here’s what legislators – including Phil Jensen, whom House leadership left in place after his embarrassing bill to defund the Huron School District – will be judging the worthiness of to continue to the House Floor:
BILL HEARINGS
- HB 1177 require an employee of a school district, the Board of Regents, or the South Dakota Board of Technical Education to receive permission of a parent or guardian of an unemancipated minor student before addressing the student with a name other than the student’s legal name and to prohibit the compulsory use of gendered language inconsistent with sex (Introduced). Introduced by: Representative Rice
This bill would make School Districts liable for damages is a teacher calls a student by a nickname, such as Bubba, if that was not the child’s proper name, without written parental permission. And it gets into other stuff. - HB 1201 establish requirements for school counseling services (Introduced) Introduced by: Representative Manhart
This is Logan Manhart’s mandatory gay thought reporting bill to make janitors or lunch ladies potentially forced to fill out a report and notify authorities if they have an interaction with a kindergartner where a girl says “they wish they were a boy.” - HB 1180 require that a candidate for election to the board of a school district disclose the candidate’s party affiliation on a declaration of candidacy (Introduced) Introduced by: Representative Rice
Because she does not believe people are capable of looking it up, Rep. Rice wants to pass a law to add party to nominating petitions for school board. - HB 1182 provide for the recall of a member of a board of a school district. Introduced by: Representative Rice
As noted. Not sure why we would be able to recall school board members and not the people in the Legislature. - HB 1183 amend the other revenue base amount available to certain school districts (Introduced). Introduced by: Representative Gosch
Rep. Gosch seems to be messing with the school funding formula for small, sparse schools, possibly making them non-sparse. This will likely be referred to appropriations. - HB 1171 require that a school curriculum include human growth and development within the health curriculum (Introduced) Introduced by: Representative Randolph
Per Rep. Randolph, Anti-abortion propaganda will be included in all school health curriculum. - HB 1172 require that a high school health curriculum include human sexuality and human development within the womb (Introduced). Introduced by: Representative Randolph
Again, per Rep. Randolph, starting in the 9th grade, High School Students will have to watch videos of babies being ripped apart via abortion, like in a Faces of Death video from back in the 1980’s.
Like many South Dakotans, I find this legislative session just painful to watch at this point.
The SGOP had what used to be a solid-oak plank in it supporting LOCAL CONTROL of the schools. Over the years, the people most opt to call anybody who disagreed with them “RINOS” would agree with that plank, until their local school board did something they didn’t like..And then they would show up in Pierre screaming “the school board won’t do what we want!” This list of demands for the schools just underscores dilemma..
Just today I got around to listening to testimony surrounding HB 1017, which was brought by people who don’t like the way the Sioux Falls school board decided to sell tickets to athletic events, and want the legislature to fix it. They have appealed to the school board to change their policy, and the school board won’t do what they want.
It’s amazing how many supposedly conservative Republicans signed onto that bill and voted for it, instead of advising the proponents to run for school board themselves..
it’s time to pull out that plank in the platform and throw it on the fire. Obviously Republicans no longer have any use for local control of the schools.
Time to rip the plank about local control of the schools out of the SDGOP platform and throw it on the fire.
It’s time for our elected representatives and senators to prioritize genuine dialogue over extreme ideologies. Instead of relying on the divisive advice from organizations like the Heritage Foundation, they should engage openly with the core desires of the constituents they serve. Let’s advocate for mental clarity and compassion in leadership, putting the needs of the people first!
Rep Logan Manchild has had quite a bit of backlash not only on this bill but in how he has responded to polite constituents and those mental health and educational professionals plus parents that expressed concern and opposition. Manchild responded with childish memes and deleted comments. He said he was open for discussion but then changed his post prior to the committee hearing expressing what he intended to do all along being purely far right ideology far removed from what is actually happening.
He states at the Aberdeen legislative coffee that he just wants to have a discussion on every bill he signs onto when it is simply empty cover. Voters are seeing right thru this arrogant little opportunist.
Off the rails. Just off the rails.
HB 1177 Immediately tanked when Representative Rice was basing her bill on hearsay and rumors like Dinosaurs which is a new one, Furries, catboxes and South Dakota being the 4th state they moved to. It bottomed out with Florence Thompson testifying in favor of HB 1177. Thankfully a number of the reasonable representatives jumped on the opportunity to challenge their claims and justification for the bill by asking for data and proof to substantiate. Representative Rice could not offer any. It was all based off her opinion.
2026 cannot come soon enough!