I urge you to ask Gov Rounds to veto it too:
Office of the Governor
500 E. Capitol Ave.
Pierre, SD 57501
605.773.3212
Email the Governor
Dear Gov Rounds,
I am so embarrassed that a majority of Reps and Senators voted for HCR 1109, linking "astrology" to "global warming." Including you. I think it was a very mis-advised vote, no matter what you personally believe about the issue of global climate change.
The legislation shows a striking ignorance of not only the global climate change issue, but a deep misunderstanding of science in particular. NOTHING in science is "fact", and scientists make their name by turning over generally accepted hypotheses!!
This bill makes a laughingstock of our legislature and our population in general among the scientific community and will do real harm to the chances of the DUSEL lab. I know that if I were considering moving my family here in 1995, had it been 2006 or if I would have seen this bill passed in the national news, I would have probably not have moved here.
Legislation like this causes a brain drain of the scientists and students that live here now. I hope the Governor vetoes it.... as even if such a veto is overridden (which I doubt would happen) the chances for DUSEL will be improved.
(also see my previous post, which has been updated.)
Posts
Hold that phone, CP: I don't think a concurrent resolution goes to the governor's desk. Concurrent resolutions "express opinions and principles of the Legislature not
ReplyDeletehaving the force of law" (SD Legislautre Joint Rule 6-A1-1). The governor need not sign a declaration of the opinion of the Legislature. (Ah! But 6G-9 says resolutions do get sent to the Governor for a signature. Hmm... anyone know for sure?)
However, if I'm understanding the rules correctly, HCR 1009 isn't official yet. The Senate amended it severely before passage, so the House has to come back and concur. Your argument is right on: making us look like a bunch of anti-science loons doesn't help us make the case that the world's geniuses should come study at a big lab here. So forward that e-mail to the House members who voted for the loonier version of the resolution (including my cantankerous neighbor Gerry Lange!) and tell them to stop making us look stupid!
Thanks Cory. I updated my previous post to include the amended text, which is still stupid but not quite so humiliatingly ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, both the House and Senate versions are stinkers, and we deserve all the national scorn we're getting for them.
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