Call Your Legislators - Immediately!!
Dakota Rural Action needs to
get a message to your legislators. There
are two very controversial bills moving in the House and the Senate on Monday,
February 11. Follow the steps below and
take action, NOW!!
1. CALL YOUR SENATOR AND EACH OF
YOUR REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!!
House of Representatives
à Call your
Representatives at home this weekend or on Monday morning at 605-773-3851.
o
Tell them to vote YES on HB 1305 and
prohibit NAIS from ever becoming mandatory in South Dakota.
o
HB 1305 will prohibit NAIS from being mandatory in South Dakota,
prohibits the State from entering into agreement with the USDA to implement
NAIS in South Dakota, and protects the State Veterinarians role in keeping our
livestock healthy.
à HB 1305 specifically states,
“Nothing in this Act prohibits the state from establishing or participating in
disease control programs specifically designed to address a known disease in a
specific species of livestock.”
à Email both of your
Representatives by going to: http://legis.state.sd.us/email/legislatoremail.aspx
Senate
à Call your Senator at home
this weekend, or on Monday morning at 605-773-3821.
o
Tell your Senator to vote NO on SB 174 and
protect landowners from eminent domain laws that gives special treatment to
DM&E.
o
SB 174 will allow the use of eminent domain to condemn land if the
owners don’t settle on a price within a “reasonable” amount of time. If a court grants the railroad condemnation
rights, a landowner has 60 days to decide on a price. If no agreement can be reached in that time,
SB 174 gives the railroad the right to take possession of the land and begin
building, WHILE THE PRICE NEGOTIATION CONTINUES.
o
SB 174
grants the railroad unlimited rights to appeal their application, while
landowners’ right to appeal is limited to price negotiation. Landowners cannot appeal the condemnation.
o
This bill only impacts DM&E but it sets an unacceptable precedent
for future project in our state like the TransCanada Pipeline, transmission
lines, and mining companies to assume they will get similar treatment from the
SD Legislature regarding eminent domain.
2. TELL AT LEAST THREE NEIGHBORS, FRIENDS
OR RELATIVES TO CALL THEIR LEGISLATORS!!
à Both of these bills will be
debated and voted on by the Legislature on Monday. It is CRITICAL that legislators hear from
their constituents about these bills.
3. MAKE PLANS TO COME TO PIERRE ON
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11.
à You can make a difference. Plan to join
Dakota Rural Action members, South Dakota Stockgrowers members and other
citizens from across the state in talking to legislators about both of these
bills.
à Monday is your opportunity
to join other like-minded people to voice your thoughts. This is CRITICALLY important to the future of
South Dakota. Landowner rights and
animal health are vital components of the economy in our rural communities.
à Contact Silvia Christen if you are planning to
travel to Pierre. DRA would be happy to
help make travel arrangements or hotel accommodations for our members to join
us on Sunday or Monday.
o
We will meet at 7pm Central on Sunday, February 10 at the Ft.
Pierre Livestock Auction to make plans for Monday’s lobbying efforts.
Important Contact information –
House of Representatives Lobby Desk – 605-773-3851
Senate Lobby Desk -
605-773-3821
Dakota Rural Action,
Brookings – 605-697-5204
Dakota Rural Action,
cell-phone in Pierre and on weekends – 605-691-2715