(Continued from page 16)

ures that have already been approved by one chamber.
• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are reserved for each chamber to consider amendments made by the second chamber to pass a bill. For example, if the House makes an amendment to a bill that was originally passed by the Senate, the Senate has to decide whether to accept the changes made by the House. If the Senate does not accept the House amendments, a conference committee will be appointed to try to negotiate a version of the bill acceptable to both chambers.
• In the final days of the session, the House and Senate will meet for a while and then take recesses to await reports from conference committees.
• The exception to the deadline is the state budget, which will first go the House and Senate floors on the final days of the session. The House and Senate almost never amend the budget proposed by the Appropriations Committee.
• ___
• SCHOOL SENTINELS
• Both chambers have passed a bill that would allow South Dakota school districts to arm teachers, other personnel or volunteers with guns in an attempt to prevent tragedies like December's grade-school shooting in Connecticut that left 20 children dead.
• The Senate passed the measure last week, and it now returns to the House for consideration of changes made by the Senate. One of those changes would allow school district residents to refer a school board's decision to arm teachers to a public vote. The House is expected to decide Monday whether to accept the Senate version of the bill.
• Supporters argue that the bill leaves the decision up to each school district, and those in rural areas might want to arm teachers because schools are far from law enforcement agencies. Opponents contend that arming teachers could make schools more dangerous, lead to accidental shootings and put guns in the hands of people not adequately trained to shoot in emergency situations.
• ___
• ECONOMIC INCENTIVES
• Legislative leaders of both political parties have put together a plan they say will not only help recruit large industrial projects to the state, but will also help bring smaller projects to rural communities. That plan will get its first hearing Monday in the House State Affairs Committee, where extensive new language will be added to a bill that currently reads: "The Legislature shall enhance economic development opportunities for the state."
• The plan would focus on giving tax breaks only to large projects that would not

(Continued on page 18)