PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — The long-awaited bill to legalize growing industrial hemp in South Dakota got its first committee hearing Thursday and that’s it until next week.
Prime sponsor Representative Lee Qualm says the original bill is getting an overhaul with more input from the Governor’s office.
He says the administration wanted a misdemeanor added which changes the prison statement of the bill resulting in further review.
Qualm says the bill is basically the same even though it looks different.
Last year Governor Kristi Noem vetoed a similar measure but has softened her opposition. A summer study committee conducted extensive research and assembled a new version.
(JP Skelly, KORN, contributed this report.)
