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on a bill aimed at providing financial incentives that would help recruit large industrial projects to the state.
• An old program that refunded construction taxes for big projects expired Dec. 31. Voters in November rejected Gov. Dennis Daugaard's proposed replacement plan to use tax funds to give grants to projects that would not locate in South Dakota without the financial incentives.
• The State Affairs Committee had planned to hold a hearing Monday on a measure that would refund city sales taxes on some projects and also give those projects a state grant. But the committee chairman, Rep. David Lust of Rapid City, says the hearing has been delayed because officials are working on some changes to the bill.
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Under pressure, Boy Scouts may ease no-gays policy
DAVID CRARY,AP National Writer
• NEW YORK (AP) -- Facing diverse and ceaseless protests, the Boy Scouts of America is signaling its readiness to end the nationwide exclusion of gays as scouts or leaders and give the sponsors of local troops the freedom to decide the matter for themselves.
• If approved by the Scouts' national executive board, possibly as soon as next week, the change would be another momentous milestone for America's gay-rights movement, following a surge of support for same-sex marriage and the ending of the ban on gays serving opening in military.
• "The pulse of equality is strong in America, and today it beats a bit faster with news that the Boy Scouts may finally put an end to its long history of discrimination," said Chad Griffin of the Human Rights Campaign, a major gay-rights group.
• Under the proposed change, which was outlined Monday by the Scouts, the different religious and civic groups that sponsor Scout units would be able to decide for themselves how to address the issue -- either maintaining an exclusion of gays, as is now required of all units, or opening up their membership.
• Southern Baptist leaders -- who consider homosexuality a sin -- were furious about the possible change and said its approval might encourage Southern Baptist churches to support other boys' organizations instead of the BSA. The Southern Baptists are among the largest sponsors of Scout units, along with the Roman Catholic, Mormon and United Methodist churches.
• Under the proposed change, said BSA spokesman Deron Smith, "the Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or par (Continued on page 24)
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