rapidcityjournal.com
Holly Meyer Journal staff
Posted: Sunday, February 5, 2012 6:00 am


Rapid City Area Schools Superintendent Tim Mitchell, second from left in back row, follows along during the Legislative Crackerbarrel at the School of Mines on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. (Kristina Barker/Journal staff)

Legislation on immigration and driver's license requirements sparked discussion during Rapid City's second crackerbarrel of the year Saturday.

With the Legislature already knocking down bills on both topics, proposed legislation on the issues are in for a tough fight this session.

Rep. Lance Russell, R-Hot Springs, told the crowd of about 120 people on the South Dakota School of Mines campus that he will try on Monday to revive HB1238, which set up penalties for employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. It was tabled last week on a 7-5 vote.

"What we would like to do is make it that the state has some kind of mechanism for getting to the root of the problem, that is hiring people who are here illegally," Russell said.

Sen. Craig Tieszen, R-Rapid City, proposed similar legislation, SB155, which is scheduled for debate on Tuesday.

"I think it's an issue that we need to address in our state because our federal government refuses to address it (and) instead continues to attack the states that are trying to fix this problem themselves out of desperation," Tieszen said. "I think it's fruitless for us to try to round up illegal immigrants because we can't get the federal government to cooperate with us."

Russell can expect a fight on another piece of legislation he proposed. HB1169 is one of the last bills standing that would overturn federally required driver's license rules that South Dakota adopted in 2009.

"The bottom line is, is that we're harassing people," Russell said. "It's all about this terrorism business, it's the Homeland Security mantra but the federal government won't enforce the border. Now they want to penalize everyone in this state that wants to obtain a driver's license."

Sen. Stan Adelstein, R-Rapid City, is not giving up on his own driver's license requirements bill, SB118, which was sent last week to the 41st day of the Legislature, essentially killing the measure. The bill would eliminate the multiple forms required for a single proof of identity and block plans to upload the driver's license information into a central database.

He told the crowd on Saturday that he plans to try to revive the bill this week.

"There are five states, and I'd like us to be the sixth, that say they will never sign on to this rotten program," Adelstein said. "We need every bit of energy of those of you who don't like your whole life going into a file that they said is not going to be shared anywhere else. If they can hack Citibank, what can they do to Mississippi, for example."

The audience brought up a wide range of topics on Saturday morning, but Gov. Dennis Daugaard's proposed education reform remained a hot topic, just as it had during this session's first crackerbarrel on Jan. 21.

Daugaard's education package includes merit pay for top-performing teachers and an end to "continuing contract" or tenure for teachers who don't already have it.

Prompted by two questions from the audience, a number of the legislators spoke about the governor's plan on Saturday, but did not address its details. Instead, the lawmakers praised the discussion that is happening across the state about South Dakota's education system, encouraged the crowd to stay a part of it, but to hold on to their concerns as the proposal is likely to evolve through vigorous debate this session.

The two-hour crackerbarrel was the second of four this legislative session planned by the Rapid City Area Chamber of Commerce. All crackerbarrels run from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Future crackerbarrels will be held on Feb. 11 and Feb. 25.

Contact Holly Meyer at 394-8421 or holly.meyer@rapidcityjournal.com.

Read more: Immigration, driver