House resurrects Meade County shooting range bill; SDGF&P commission approves land purchasing
The bill SB 175 was originally killed in the House Appropriations Committee and now awaits for the votes needed to calendar it on Monday.
PIERRE, S.D. — A bill that was killed in a house committee on Thursday, and that’s also seeking some $2.5 million in state funds for a shooting facility in Meade County, is still alive.
Senate Bill 175 was killed in the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday, but was resurrected on the house floor, where 36 representatives stood in support.
During the appropriations committee, the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks was asked what would happen if the funding wasn’t approved. They explained that the funds would still be raised, but that certain parts of the range wouldn’t be constructed at this time.
The bill will now need that same number of representatives to stand in support to have it placed on the house calendar, where it could be potentially heard on Tuesday. It will then need 47 votes to pass the House and head to the Gov. Kristi Noem’s desk for her signature.
Meade County ranchers that live in the area have largely been opposed to the range for a variety of reasons such as safety, environmental and infrastructure concerns.
The South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks has said they will be “good neighbors” to the ranchers and will work to alleviate the concerns.
On Thursday, the SDGF&P announced that its commission passed a resolution to purchase property from the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation for the shooting complex.
The bill will be voted on to be calendared on Monday.
