United Nations Article 21 outlines a plan to make the world more sustainable. It encourages decreasing consumption, controlling pollution, and reducing poverty. House Bill 1190 prohibits South Dakota or local governments from adopting UN environmental or developmental plans. SDPB’s Cassie Bartlett brings us this report on why this bill was proposed, and why it failed.
Supporters of House Bill 1190 compared U-N Article 21 to communism. They say the article’s plans to reduce poverty include taking away people’s personal property to share among the general public and create a utopia. Opponents of the bill say Article 21 is optional and unenforceable in the United States because personal property is protected under due process. Will Mortenson with the governor’s office says he opposes House Bill 1190 because it has many unintended consequences.
“As we researched it a few of the policies that are pretty accessible to you all that could be prohibited if this bill passed include fighting mountain pine beetles in the Black Hills, managing any radioactive waste, limit the counties ability to decide whether ag developments could be sited in their county, cities developing bike paths, and on and on. You can see how problematic some of these things could be, despite the intention,” Mortenson says.
Mortenson says although the bill is a safeguard against some of the more radical policies, the best safeguard is South Dakota’s reasonable legislature. The House State Affairs Committee deferred the bill to the 41st day. For South Dakota Public Broadcasting, I’m Cassie Bartlett reporting from Pierre.