State senators?have revived?a bill to create community-based schools?focused?on Native American cultural curriculum.??The process included a series of unusual procedural moves.??
Senate Bill 68 allows for community-based schools?centered?on the?Oceti?Sakowin?Essential Understandings.?The culturally based content standards?are designed?to?teach all grade levels about Lakota, Dakota and?Nakota?people.?Supporters say a more culturally relevant education will?help Native American students. Critics say?these schools will divert funds from public schools?in their district.?
Senators debated the issue for about 40 minutes on Monday.?At that point, Senate Majority Leader Gary?Cammack?used a procedural move to end debate and immediately take a vote.??
The bill was voted down?and then its prime sponsor,?Senate Minority Leader Troy?Heinert,?asked?to have?it?reconsidered?the next day.?Heinert?explains?the unusual nature of Monday’s debate.??
“A longstanding tradition is the prime sponsor always gets to close their bill. And I hold no malice to my good friend who made the motion. I don’t think he did it intentionally. But once that motion was made, it just stopped everything.”?
Senators?then?voted 18 to 16 in favor of reviving?the bill.?That gave?Heinert?a chance?to?introduce?an amendment?addressing some of the funding concerns.??
Then,?Senator Reynold?Nesiba?invoked another procedural?rule to delay?further?action on an amendment.?That move is not open for debate.??
Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden, who presides over state senate proceedings, decided on a two-day delay.?Lawmakers will reconsider Senate Bill 68 on Friday.???
