The 2017 Legislature held a whole special session to deal with nonmeandered waters (Rep. Kevin Jensen appears to call them “rogue lakes“—sounds like a job for Homeland Security!). Alas, since legislators made all that huffing and puffing to come up with a mere stopgap bill that expires June 30, the 2018 Legislature has to tackle the issue again.
The Governor’s proposal for resolving the issue is in the hopper in the form of Senate Bill 24. As Game Fish and Parks chief Kelly Helper told the GF&P Commission last month, the Governor’s bold solution consists of one sentence:
The provisions of this Act are repealed on June 30, 20182021 [2018 SB 24, 2018.01.02].
Rep. Mark Willadsen (R-11/Sioux Falls) wants that sunset clause removed. Rep. Herman Otten (R-6/Tea) wants to continue to allow landowners to petition to close nonmeandered lakes opened by last summer’s law. Expect some hoghousing on the Governor’s bill… unless legislators get so tired trying to fill South Dakota’s 34-million-dollar shortfall that they just throw their hands up and kick the water can down the road for another three years the way Governor Daugaard wants.