"Legislators are unlikely to defeat a bill giving them more power.
But that's exactly what they should do. They're trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist. A bill that would give legislators - and not the governor - final authority over expansion of Native American gambling operations made it through the Senate State Affairs Committee, 7-2, and awaits final action in the Senate. The essence is simple. Primary sponsor Dave Knudson, a Sioux Falls Republican, wants the Legislature to vote on any expansion of Native American gaming. By giving the Legislature a role, he figures he can stop the expansion. But if legislators want to stop gambling expansion, they should work on legislation that would do just that. Knudson's bill unnecessarily mucks up a system that works. There's no evidence whatsoever that the governor's office - the current one or those in the past - have done a bad job handling the gambling agreements." Get the Story: