PIERRE, S.D. (MITCHELL NOW) A trio of pro-labor bills died on party-line votes in a Senate committee on Tuesday.
On 8 to 1 votes, the Senate Commerce and Energy Committee sent Senate Bills 145, 163, and 179 to the 41st legislative day, killing them.
Democratic Sen. Reynold Nesiba from Sioux Falls sponsored all three bills.
SB145 would have increased the reporting time for a workplace injury from three to 30 days.
SB163 would have made discrimination based on one’s hairstyle an unfair labor practice.
SB179 would have made large warehouses like Amazon provide workers with the efficiency standards they are judged by.
Representatives from the Teamsters Union supported the three bills.
Representatives from the state chamber of commerce and business groups opposed the measures.
Nesiba argued that the bills would protect South Dakota workers and help recruit workers to the state. He said they would know that they are protected from unfair practices.
Lobbyists for the business groups contended that the bills were burdensome on businesses or that the issues were already covered under existing laws.
The eight Republicans on the panel voted to kill the clutch of bills, while Nesiba, the one Democrat on the committee, voted not to send them to the 41st day.
(SDBA)