JNS
Rep. Mike Stevens said in support of the bill that “Freedom can’t work here if we let it [antisemitism] live amongst us.”
In the South Dakota state house, HB 1076 passed by a vote of 53-14, utilizing language from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.
Rep. Mike Stevens found the bill imperfect but supported it, saying that it “needs to send a message. … Freedom can’t work here if we let it [antisemitism] live amongst us.”
On Tuesday, in countering a common objection to the IHRA definition, Rep. Fred Deutsch said that “this bill is entirely about conduct” and that it “doesn’t limit a person or organization’s First Amendment right.”
Stevens pointed to those who deny the Holocaust, asking “how did that happen?” He said, “As I’ve been thinking about this bill, I’ve come to the conclusion that it starts slowly when we refuse or we do not recognize or do not confront discrimination in all forms when we see it or hear it.”
An opponent of the legislation, Rep. Scott Odenbach, said the adoption “sets a very dangerous, and frankly, scary precedent in a country that is as diverse as ours is.” He justified voting against the measure by pointing out that discrimination was already illegal in the state.
