Hemp bill will be back before South Dakota lawmakers in 2020

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – Some South Dakota lawmakers say they’re working on a bill for the next legislative session that would pave the way for hemp to be grown in the state.

That would put them on a likely collision course with Gov. Kristi Noem, who vetoed such legislation earlier this year. The House successfully voted to override but lawmakers fell two votes short in the Senate.

Democratic lawmaker Oren Lesmeister of Parade says he is “very confident” that enough lawmakers will support a hemp bill next year to override a veto. In the meantime, supporters are working to educate their colleagues on hemp and its uses.

South Dakota, Mississippi and Idaho are the only states that don’t allow hemp cultivation.