The State House of Representatives is requesting the Committee on Government Operations and Audit to conduct hearings relating to the operations of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. House Concurrent Resolution 1010 passed by a vote of 51 to 18. The resolution is in response to discrepancies discovered with the EB-5 program last year. Hearings could include a review of available audits, ordering of additional audits, questioning people involved in projects, and opportunity for public testimony. Resolution sponsor Bernie Hunhoff says the legislature has a responsibility to get work done, and provide checks and balances. He says the resolution provides a way to move forward and ask questions without interfering with other business.
“My goal with it is to just lay out a road map so that we and the people of South Dakota and the media all have a good idea of where our legislative branch wants to go with economic development hearings,” Hunhoff says. “I think just about everybody I’ve talked to agrees that we need to take this issue on. The question is how, when, and by whom, and this resolution lays that out.”
One opponent, Mark Mickelson, says he has faith in the committee and the governor to follow through on the commitments they already made regarding audits.