• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A plan that would cut the amount of time some students caught with drugs are suspended from sports and other school activities was endorsed Tuesday by a South Dakota legislative panel after supporters said the measure also would improve the fairness of the suspension system.
• Baltic School Superintendent Bob Sittig, who proposed the change, said the current law drives students out of activities. Studies show that students who take part in school activities get better grades and have less trouble with the law, he said.
• "We want students to have consequences for their actions and we don't want to be soft on crime or anything like that, or send a message that doing drugs is OK. But we want to keep them in activities," Sittig told lawmakers.
• Current law requires that students convicted for a first drug offense be suspended from school activities for one year, but the suspension can be cut to 60 school days if they get counseling or treatment. Repeat offenders lose eligibility permanently.
• The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously to approve a bill that would cut the suspension for a first offense to 30 calendar days if a student gets an assessment and completes any treatment required by that assessment.
• Students caught a second time would be kicked out of activities for one year, but that could be cut to 60 calendar days if they get treatment. Anyone convicted of a drug offense for a third time would be banned from activities permanently.
• The bill's main sponsor, Sen. Tim Rave, R-Baltic, said a key part of the measure would require students convicted of a first drug offense to miss at least two events before taking part again in sports, debate, band and other activities. Those caught a second time would have to miss at least six events.
• Rave said the requirement that students miss actual events would help prevent students from unfairly manipulating the system. A student now might delay a court appearance until he has played an entire football season and then serve a suspension, Rave said.
• "It's a fairness issue," he said.
• The measure would require students suspended for drug offenses to sit out of games, concerts or other events associated with activities in which they actually par

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