A package of legislation designed to address mental health issues in criminal justice has been presented to the legislature in Pierre. House Bill 1183 is assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Chief Justice David Gilbertson has led the effort to reduce recidivism and increase services to mentally ill people who often end up in jail. In Rapid City, Mayor Steve Allender has tackled the lack of services for the city’s mentally ill population. The former chief of police says in many cases mental illness is an underlying cause of homelessness, and that condition won’t change without diagnosis and treatment.
The Senate State Affairs Committee sent a bill about employee paid sick leave to the 41st Legislative day. The bill required certain employers to give workers time off based on hours worked. Senate Bill 96 applies to non-government businesses with 50 or more employees.
A measure that automatically allows South Dakota’s home schooled students to participate in public extracurricular activities…is dead. A legislative committee considered House Bill 11-23 for nearly two hours Monday before decided not to support it.
