Everyone in the legislature is getting settled into their routines this week, with around 60 bills introduced, legislators are eyeing the deadline for new bill introductions approaching next week on the 28th. Some of DRA's bills cleared important first hurdles this week getting through committees, but both the Home Processed Foods Bill and the Pipeline Spill Recovery Bill are still receiving signatures and support; on their way to being introduced.

DRA Lobby Day and Priority Bills
The big news this past week was DRA's first, but not last, lobby day. We had a training session on Monday the 18th to provide tips and details for talking to legislators, followed by the actual lobby day on the 19th. The turnout was very promising for the beginning of the session. There were five members and five staff marching around the Capitol, talking about DRA's priority legislation and doing a significant job moving legislation forward.

The Home Processed Foods Bill was just submitted to LRC late this week to get drafted, and we'll be passing it around next week for signatures. There still is a lot of support for this bill, and we have not encountered any significant opposition yet.

Thanks to the invaluable support from DRA members during the lobby day, the Pipeline Spill Recovery Bill has started gaining support and we have started to get signatures for sponsors. At this point Senators Maher and Abdallah, and Representatives Jensen and Betty Olson have agreed to be sponsors, with more on the way.

As the week was drawing to an end and the Capitol was shutting down for everyone to beat the storm, TransCanada brought in their guys to lobby against possible legislation (including DRA's Pipeline Bill). At this point TransCanada is very concerned about last week's pipeline spill in North Dakota. Enbridge authorities said the pipeline was shut off immediately, however 126,000 gallons of crude oil still happened to spill onto the land.

With TransCanada's lobbyists now in the halls speaking against any legislation, it is more important than ever to have members out in Pierre clearing up the debate and showing support. DRA's next lobby day is being planned within the next couple weeks, so keep your ears open, a strong grassroots showing is needed to offset the Pipeline Lobbyists!

Raw Milk Update
DRA members concerned about the new raw milk bill, HB 1057, have been meeting to draft a list of key bullet points to give to Rep. Brunner. He is committed to amend the bill into something to help local producers continue to safely sell raw milk and stop the Agriculture Department from adopting rules that would hurt local producers.

Certified Professional Midwife Recognition
This week, the Dakota Rural Action Board of Directors voted to support legislation being brought this year by South Dakota Safe Childbirth Options, a non-profit organization, to get South Dakota to recognize nationally Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) and create rural birth centers giving mothers more birthing options.   

For many years midwifery advocates have been working to pass legislation allowing CPMs to legally attend home births.  In the United States 26 states license CPM's and in an additional 10 states CPM's are not licensed but are working without any problems.  More information about these bills will be coming in future updates.

Renewable Energy Progress
The Public Utilities Commission introduced three bills, SB 58, 59, 61, this session to help encourage small scale renewable energy development. This past week the bills went to the Senate State Affairs Committee where SB 58 and 61 were passed. SB 61 went onto the Senate to be unanimously passed, while SB 58 has yet to be voted on.  SB 59 was tabled in Committee.

Under SB 58, a renewable energy facility with less than 5 megawatts of capacity would receive a reduction in its property taxes. The first $50,000 of assessed value or 70 percent of the assessed value of the facility, whichever is greater, would be exempt from property tax.  This bill would extend similar incentives already given to large wind projects, to smaller projects with the result being increased investment in small renewable energy facilities, which otherwise would not be built.

SB 61 requires electric utilities to file with the PUC their minimum rates for the purchase of electricity generated from renewable resources and produced by a facility that has a capacity of one hundred kilowatts or less. It does not give PUC the authority to force all utilities to pay small producers certain rates.  This bill would make rates paid by utilities to purchase electricity more transparent, it is the hope that SB 61 will begin to ensure small generators will be paid no less than the costs the utility pays to purchase or generate electricity; making small renewable energy profitable for local landowners interested in generation and opening the door to future legislation favoring locally owned renewable energy.

Brand Board Bills
Two other bills DRA has been following are SB 37 and 38. Both were submitted by the Brand Board and would have respectively authorized them to impose certain administrative fines and revise certain brand inspection provisions regarding shipper's permits; creating unneeded and cumbersome new rules and regulations. In the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, both bills were deferred to the 41st legislative day resulting in them being effectively killed.

If you have any questions please call the office at 605.697.5204 or email.

In Pierre,

Luke Temple, DRA Organizer and Lobbyist