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God Bless America!

1. BASIC EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM

WHEREAS: Former Secretary Cavazos said, "(Although) we are already spending more money per student than our major foreign competitors, Japan and Germany…looking at virtually every qualitative measure … we see our students performing minimally, lacking the advanced skills needed to succeed"; and

WHEREAS: Remedial instruction, and state-mandated elective courses drain off essential resources from basic education in the skills of learning and academic subject matter.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the state legislature should take responsibility for restoring basic education in elementary and secondary public schools and teacher training institutions.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That our legislature should conduct a systematic review, with local school administrators, of the impact of state and federal mandates upon local school budgets and curriculum development.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That our state legislature should take immediate steps to reduce the quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial powers delegated to appointive administrative officials and boards.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That all public school expenditures should be financed by the level of government by which they are mandated.

WHEREAS: Past state aid formulas for funding education have been complicated and difficult to understand; and

WHEREAS: The 1995 South Dakota Legislature enacted a new state aid formula that is based on average daily membership and a variable of $3,680 per student. Property taxes are collected within the local school district at a uniform rate to meet the needs and the shortfall will be the aid received from the state.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association support this simpler basic system for aid to education as adopted by the 1995 South Dakota Legislature.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association support individual school autonomy and incentives to meet student needs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association also support power being restored to local elected officials.

WHEREAS: State mandates become the financial responsibility of local taxing units; and

WHEREAS: The employer-employee relationship between school boards and teachers is essential to local control of educational quality.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the State should not legislate minimum teachers salaries; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: That local school boards must have the right to reward meritorious teachers on an individual basis.

WHEREAS: There is developing pressure proclaiming animal rights; and

WHEREAS: Drastic changes in existing humane, efficient livestock and poultry production systems would greatly increase production costs; and

WHEREAS: The dissemination of misleading animal rights organization material can be detrimental to an expanding South Dakota livestock economy; and

WHEREAS: The need for continued education is eminent in animal welfare; and

WHEREAS: The Ag Unity Group has established an Animal Welfare Committee to address the many areas of animal rights/welfare.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association support and encourage the efforts of Ag Unity’s Animal Welfare Committee to educate producers, educators, legislators, the media and the general public about the animal rights/welfare issue.

5. PARENTAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES (’02)

WHEREAS: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association desires to affirm the solidarity and role of the family unit; and

WHEREAS: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association acknowledges that children are a gift from God, and that parents are responsible for the nurturing and upbringing of their children. (Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6)

THEREFORE Be It Resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association respects the stewardship role of parents in the family unit.

Be It Further Resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports the parent’s right to determine the method in which they nurture and educate their children in a moral and Godly manner.

WHEREAS: Agricultural land is currently valued for tax purposes by market value; and

WHEREAS: Market value is influenced by non-ag factors in many areas of the state; and

WHEREAS: In certain areas of the state agricultural valuation have allowed property taxes to reach confiscatory levels; and

WHEREAS: We adamantly believe in the right of individuals to own property, whether ag or non-ag.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is in support of an income approach for the valuation of agricultural land based on agriculture productivity.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association continue to support legislation that implements and retains income formula for the valuation of agricultural land.

2. COUNTY DIRECTOR OF EQUALIZATION (’95)

WHEREAS: The County Directors of Equalization are hired by the Board of County Commissioners; and

WHEREAS: They do not have a direct responsibility to the voting public.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association respectfully requests the South Dakota Legislature to pass a law which would make the County Director of Equalization an elective office.

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposes the reintroduction of a state inheritance tax.

WHEREAS: County Government must, by law, provide law enforcement, jails, courts, prosecution, and defense, detoxification, welfare, and other related services; and

WHEREAS: Up to 80 percent of the need for some of these services is generated by alcohol abuse; and

WHEREAS: The liquor impact on these social services can cost up to and exceed 15 percent of a total county budget; and

WHEREAS: County governments must rely on property taxes to pay for these services.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association does not believe it is appropriate that property taxes pay for the problem generated by liquor and support an addition to and a redistribution of the present liquor tax to apply liquor costs at county government.

5. LIVESTOCK SERVICES SALES TAX (’96)

WHEREAS: The livestock industry is the economic foundation of the state’s economy; and

WHEREAS: A strong livestock economy generates new wealth and economic vitality; and

WHEREAS: The livestock industry provides major support to government functions in South Dakota not only through ordinary business activity, but also through property taxes on land and buildings.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposes sales tax on livestock and livestock services (trucking, bull semen, vet services, etc.).

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports local control at every level of government.

7. PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX REPLACEMENT

WHEREAS: It has been proposed that a portion of the personal property tax replacement appropriation be diverted to the state school aid formula; and

WHEREAS: The personal property tax replacement fund was established by the legislature to reimburse each local unit of government for revenue lost by the legislative repeal of the personal property tax; and

WHEREAS: The state school aid formula is discriminatory in nature, complicated in administration, and subject to change by the legislature and arbitrary decisions by the State Superintendent.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports the personal property tax replacement fund as a separate entity, to be distributed according to the original intent of the legislature.

8. TAX REFORM (Revised ’02)

WHEREAS: Property taxes on real estate are no longer tied with the ability to pay.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association recommends the legislature reduce property tax dependence of schools with an alternative funding source.

9. REPEAL OF THE DEATH TAX (’02)

Whereas: The state of South Dakota has repealed the state inheritance tax; and

Whereas: Estate taxes cause undue financial burdens on ranchers and farmers and may force the sale of the family ranch of farm at the time of death in order to pay the estate taxes owed, preventing the next generation from ranching or farming.

Therefore be it resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association supports the permanent repeal of the Federal Estate Tax or the "death tax" with a stepped up basis for farm and ranch heirs.

WHEREAS: In 1995 and 1996 The South Dakota Legislature passed South Dakota Law 1-27-27 through 1-27-32 (commonly known as the "gag law"), which says that any state agency which is authorized by law to investigate, examine, or audit the papers books, records, financial condition or other information held by or concerning a private entity may not disclose that it is conducting such an investigation, examination or audit; and

WHEREAS: Violation of this law is classified as a felony offense; and

WHEREAS: South Dakota is the only state in the nation to have a gag law; and

WHEREAS: This law had to be amended in 1997 because it made it illegal for environmental inspectors to comply with federal law which requires full public disclosure of companies that pollute the environment; and

WHEREAS: This law has since been used to block citizens from knowing if specific enforcement measures are being taken by state agencies; and

WHEREAS: It has been recognized by the Argus Leader and others that this law creates a situation in which "any state official may be perceived as being handcuffed by the law while using it to assure that the interests of the rich and powerful are not held to the same standard as average individuals, or the cloak of secrecy could be used to hide the fact that the state doesn't care to address a ticklish issue"; and

WHEREAS: The public has a right to know whether state agencies are enforcing the law; and

WHEREAS: There are other state and federal laws to protect the rights of individuals currently under investigation.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association calls for the repeal of South Dakota Codified Law 1-27-27 through 1-27-32 (commonly known as the
"gag law").

Whereas: American sovereignty is increasingly subjected to a take-over by a never-ending supply of United Nations treaties and conventions: The Wildlands Project and Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan, the UN and US Biosphere Program, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Commission on Global Governance, to name a few; and

Whereas: Our Federal Government has limited its rights of sovereignty over many of America’s revered heritage sites which have then become world heritage sites under the UN; and

Whereas: The United Nations is striving to gain control over all of Americas land, to tax many areas of commerce, to control all natural resources, environmental and election laws, to outlaw guns, to educate and control our children and decide how many you can have; and

Whereas: American armed forces are fighting wars or standing guard in over 70 nations all under the control and command of the UN and our troops have been "granted" a period of only 12 months of exemption until the United Nations Criminal Court should begin prosecuting them from charges, and under judges, from terrorist-dominated countries; and

Whereas: America's constitution states that no law or treaty can properly be made unless it is "in pursuance thereof" and "under the authority of the constitution," and which has been supported by five supreme court rulings that treaties cannot authorize what the constitution forbids, as well as statements of the founding fathers, such as George Mason: "The power which can make treaties…cannot dismember the empire."

Therefore be it resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers respectfully but firmly requests all members of the South Dakota Congressional Delegation, and all candidates seeking such office, to diligently work to cut off any and all United States financial support for the United Nations and to support House Bill 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act, to get America out of the United Nations.