South Dakota House lawmakers are rejecting an effort to prohibit public schools from having lobbyists represent them in the state Capitol.
The bill made it to the House floor after multiple efforts to establish voucher programs, defund the Huron School District, place the Ten Commandments in classrooms and prohibit staff and students from being disciplined for misnaming or misgendering students all failed.
Rep. Elizabeth May is the prime sponsor of the bill. During floor debate on Thursday, she said she brought it out of frustration. However, the Republican from Kyle, who has sat on the education committee in the past, said the bill is not an attack on public school lobbyists.
“Anybody that’s sat in that education committee knows that any good bill that comes to try to get us out of the box gets killed by the public lobbyists using taxpayer money," May said.
The bill, which was backed by House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, failed 29 to 40.
Critics say the proposal singled out a one public entity, while other governmental entities would still be allowed to lobby.
In a legislature with term limits, public school lobbyists serve as the institutional knowledge for how state policy effects education.
“We can help provide some history to new legislators that are here,” said Rob Monson, the executive director for School Administrators of South Dakota. “Certainly, we are working for and against legislation that’s either good for schools or not good for schools.”
Monson’s group represents all 144 school districts in the state capitol. He said it would be hard for administrators, superintendents and staff to travel to Pierre to testify on legislation during the 40-day session.
