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voted for the bill.
• Rep. Scott Craig, R-Rapid City, said the gambling industry is designed for players to lose. He said he requested a summer study of gambling to be conducted by the Legislature, and that he was suspicious of a study coordinated by the South Dakota Lottery.
• Several other legislators told stories of gambling addictions that have broken up families and caused financial ruin.
• "This state needs to get out of the gambling business," said Rep. Scott Ecklund, R-Brandon.
• One of sponsors of the bill defeated Monday, Rep. Dick Werner, R-Huron, is a former member of the Lottery Commission. He said the video lottery has brought $2.2 billion in revenue to the state since it began in 1989.
• Rep. Justin Cronin, R-Gettysburg, said the measure would have allowed businesses to meet the demand for video lottery across the state. He said its failure would not address problems with gambling addiction.
• "No one is going to stop gambling because this bill fails or passes," Cronin said.
• Another bill designed to wean the state off video lottery revenue failed in a House committee on Feb. 20.
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SD Senate approves statewide texting ban
CHET BROKAW, Associated Press
• PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- An effort to ban texting while driving in South Dakota could be in danger after the state passed a measure Monday that went further than the House may be willing to accept.
• Senators voted 22-13 to pass the ban, which has already been passed by the House. But the Senate changed the measure to impose a higher fine and give law officers more authority to stop drivers just for texting while driving. The version passed by the House would prevent law officers from issuing tickets for texting behind the wheel unless they had pulled a driver over for another traffic violation.
• Sen. Mark Kirkeby, R-Rapid City, said the Senate should have approved the House version to make sure the measure passes this year. The bill may die because the House likely will refuse to accept the changes made the Senate, he said.
• "Our opportunity is going to be lost for another entire year," Kirkeby said.
• But Sen. Mike Vehle, R-Mitchell, a long-time promoter of a texting ban, proposed the changes after saying the House version would not do enough to discourage texting behind the wheel. "It's so weak," he said of the House-passed measure.
• House Speaker Brian Gosch, sponsor of the House version, said he will have to (Continued on page 16)
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