BROOKINGS – All three District 7 lawmakers this weekend voiced opposition to a bill that would drop vaccination requirements for students.

That was one of many topics discussed at a Saturday legislative forum hosted by the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce at the Brookings City & County Government Center.

House Majority Leader Lee Qualm introduced House Bill 1235 this session, to stop schools and colleges in the state from requiring vaccinations to enter school. The state currently allows vaccination exemptions for students who have weakened immune systems or who have religious objections, according to an Associated Press report.

HB 1235 would also raise the punishment for schools and physicians that “compel” someone to get a vaccination from a Class 2 misdemeanor to a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine.

Sen. V.J. Smith said he was pro-vaccination and remembered oral polio vaccinations during his childhood. 

“It’s amazing what that did, because I would see people that had suffered from the disease for years. And we don’t see that now. I know there are a lot of people that are against forced vaccinations, making decisions for their children, but I think there’s a greater good that has to be served,” Smith said, with his comments followed by a round of applause.

Rep. Doug Post agreed, comparing it to his experiences in the livestock industry.

“If you ween a group of calves and you forget to vaccinate … and then you co-mingle them into a group setting, you can really have a train wreck. I understand the medical freedom portion of it, but I believe there’s adequate exemptions already built into our state law,” Post said.

Rep. Tim Reed said he was also against HB1235.

“I think there’s religious exemptions, medical exemptions that are in it that do protect some people that may have the issue with it.”

Senate Bill 70, which would allow the written portion of South Dakota driver’s license exams to be offered in Spanish, got support from Reed and Smith, but Post said he had some reservations.

Smith said he’s only heard one negative comment on the proposal. 

“All these recent immigrants want to do is go to work and take their children to school. … Isn’t it a remarkable thing that the children go to school to learn English and come home and teach Mom and Dad?” said Smith, who is a sponsor on the bill.

Post said he understands that applicants can go on to learn English after the exam, but they’re going to be held back until they do so.

“Not learning English is a major hinderance in advancing in this society. It’s always going to be a handicap, and it’s going keep you from moving ahead and becoming the full potential that you have. … To me, that’s a terrible situation to leave people in,” Post said.

Reed said he would support the bill. 

“I just hope that it gets a good hearing in the House. I am a little worried about that. And I want it to come to the floor, because I want to have that discussion on the floor,” Reed added.

The local lawmakers were also split on their support for Senate Bill 72, which seeks to create the needs-based Dakota’s Promise scholarship program and funding.

Smith said he was in favor of the bill, and that a lot of students with a lot of potential get overlooked. “Because they fall a little short on the academic scale, they don’t get the same assistance that other people do.”

Post said SB72 has been improved from a previous version. He also said he’s observed that students who have to work to pay for school put more effort into it.

“You’ve got to have some personal buy in.” College students’ education is already partially paid for the state, and they can qualify for Pell grants and other scholarships, enlist in the military or work.

“There may be some room for some needs-based scholarship. There is some of that available through the private sector. But in a year where we’re struggling to even get K-12 paid for, I’m not sure this is the correct step to take,” Post said.

Reed said SB72 was an important bill for the state’s workforce. 

“A lot of students are leaving the state, and they’re going to other schools. I’ve talked specifically to parents who have showed me the numbers, and how their child, because of these kinds of scholarships, … they’ve gone or are going to a different school,” Reed said.

Reed noted that the maximum the scholarship would provide is $2,500, which includes a match from a private entity. He said the concept needs to stay alive, but it could be tough to accomplish financially.

“This can’t be one-time funds. This has to be continuous, because that person who got it this year needs to know that it’ll be there for the next year,” he added.

At Saturday’s forum, both Smith and Reed announced their intentions to run for re-election this year.

Another legislative forum, featuring both District 4 and District 7 lawmakers, is planned for next Saturday, Feb. 22, starting at 9 a.m. It will also be held in the Brookings City & County Government Center.

Contact Jill Fier at jfier@brookingsregister.com.