News
»Kyle Nursing Home may move forward
Posted Local at Feb 01, 2012
By Elizabeth “Sam” Grosz
Community News Service
A bill that would repeal the sunset clause on allowing construction of a nursing home at Kyle passed through the South Dakota Senate recently and was sent on to the House.
Senate sponsor Jim Bradford, D-Pine Ridge, said changing the date from June 30, 2012, to June 29 allows the bill, if passed by both House and Senate and signed by the Governor, to take effect 90 days after the Legislature is ended.
Also, Bradford said, it allows passage by a simple majority, rather than two-thirds.
“Finances have been very hard,” said Bradford, citing the recession and budget cuts made by last year’s Legislature, but through work by many people a project is at hand which is seeking financing. Changing the sunset clause makes that project more attractive and do-able, he noted.
“The governor is aware,” said Bradford, “the health department is aware and they all agree that this is needed.”
A moratorium on nursing home construction in South Dakota has been in place since 1988, but is renewed periodically by the Legislature. This project is outside the moratorium because of the need for additional nursing home beds in the Pine Ridge area.
Sen. Todd Schlekeway, R-Sioux Falls, questioned whether this bill was related in any way to the nursing home in Eagle Butte that has been built, but is not yet open.
It is not, said Bradford, noting that project is being held up due to a lawsuit against the contractor for apparently substandard roofing construction.