This is a follow-up to my previous post about AG Jackley’s Legalized Extortion bill.  My original article was written just after Senate Bill 25 had passed the Senate with little opposition.  At that time, the bill appeared to be well on its way to the Governor’s office.  Then, something unexpected happened.

When the bill came up for consideration in house committee, Jackley offered an amendment to the bill such that it would only be applicable to felony arrests.  In short, Jackley listened to the concerns expressed by the bill’s opponents, and then attempted to balance those concerns with the needs of the proponents.

I suspect this bill could have passed even without Jackley’s amendment, so it was like a breath of fresh air to see him addressing the concerns expressed by opponents.  When all was said and done, I had a more favorable view of both South Dakota politics and AG Jackley.