SD redistricting panel accepting maps

• Image

Talk about it

PIERRE — There’s a new game show coming to South Dakota: “Are You Smarter Than A State Legislator?”

Well, sort of — but it’s serious business. The Legislature’s redistricting committee is accepting proposals from other lawmakers and the general public for drawing the boundaries of South Dakota’s 35 legislative districts.

The deadline for submitting statewide maps to the Legislative Research Council is Wednesday. They’ll be considered when the committee gathers for the final time on Sept. 27 and, if necessary, Sept. 28.

The committee’s goal is to complete its final recommendations for the Legislature at that meeting.

The committee also began the formal process of circulating petitions to all 105 legislators so they can call themselves into special session Oct. 24 to approve the new boundaries. Signatures of agreement are necessary from at least two-thirds of the lawmakers to convene the special session.

They’ll be getting a copy of a petition to sign and an envelope to mail it back to the LRC.

“We’ll send the petitions in the next day or two,” LRC executive director Jim Fry said at the conclusion of the committee’s meeting Tuesday.

The petitions, by the way, limit the scope of the special session to legislative redistricting and state Supreme Court redistricting.

Drawing new lines occurs each decade to reflect population changes in the U.S. census. The new districts will be used for the 2012 through 2020 legislative elections.

The Sept. 27 meeting of the committee starts at 9:30 a.m. The Sept. 28 continuation if necessary is scheduled to resume at 8 a.m.

CORRECTIONS SERVICE: The state Corrections Commission gets two new members, as Gov. Dennis Daugaard appointed Huron Mayor David McGirr and Mitchell lawyer Timothy Bottum.

McGirr succeeds Brad Drake of Watertown. McGirr is a former police commissioner for Huron.

Bottum replaces George Prest of Brookings. Bottum is the attorney for Abbott House and serves on the Mitchell Technical Institute board.

Drake and Prest had served on the commission since 2003.

PLAYING PLATE TAG: South Dakota motorists are getting more options to renew their vehicle registrations.

The state Division of Motor Vehicles is placing two self-service terminals at locations in Sioux Falls, in addition to the initial one that began operation earlier this year in Rapid City.

There’s also DMV’s Internet-based service at www.SDcars.org or the traditional stop at the courthouse.

DMV refers to the self-serve terminals as SSTs. Yet to be seen is whether they’re as fast as the giant jet that bore the same initials. What they will be is convenient, open any time on any day to any South Dakota motorist regardless of county.

The Rapid City terminal is at the Public Safety Building on Kansas City Street. The two Sioux Falls terminals will be installed at the Get-N-Go store at the corner of Tenth and Arrowhead Parkway and at the Hy-Vee Food Store at 47th and Louise.

There’s a $2 convenience charge for using an SST. You’ll need your driver license and a means of electronic payment

IT’S A DATE: The state Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12 in Pierre. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. in conference room 3 of the Kneip Building.

A key item on the agenda will be a financial update since the council last gathered Jan. 13. What the council recommends to the governor and the Legislature affects most businesses in South Dakota.

Tags: voting rights, news, state, legislature, redistricting, voting