A coalition of South Dakota House lawmakers on Tuesday agreed to revive a bill to legalize marijuana one day after a committee soundly defeated it, using a legislative maneuver known as a “smoke out” to bring the legislation to the floor. The Senate passed SB 3 last week, but it seemed all but certain that it would no longer advance following a defeat in the House State Affairs Committee on Monday. Activists didn’t give up the fight, however, and rallied 24 members of the House to bring the issue to the floor despite the committee setback. House Speaker Spencer Gosch (R) requested that members wishing to revive the legalization bill stand up. When enough members stood, he quipped that “we just smoked out a weed bill.” South Dakota voters already approved legalization during the 2020 election, but the reform was struck down by the state Supreme Court following a challenge from the governor’s office. While activists are still holding out hope that the reform can be enacted legislatively, they’re keeping the option open to go to the ballot again this November if lawmakers fail to act. “This is an encouraging outcome today,” Matthew Schweich, director of South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), told Marijuana Moment. “It’s clear that members of the South Dakota House of Representatives are listening to their constituents who are demanding that the will of the people be restored.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/01/2022 15:51:00