PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – South Dakota senators have approved a bill to legalize industrial hemp a day after it faltered on the chamber’s floor.
The Senate voted 21-14 Wednesday to endorse the proposal, which Gov. Kristi Noem has opposed. Changes made there must be debated in the House before it could head to Noem’s desk.
The bill initially fell short of the two-thirds margin required for it to pass in the Senate. But supporters amended it Wednesday, allowing it to move forward with a simple majority vote.
Republican Sen. Jordan Youngberg, a bill co-sponsor, asked his colleagues to “kick it through and support our farmers.” Noem has requested that legislators hold off on legalizing hemp this year, saying the state isn’t ready.
Overriding a potential veto would require two-thirds support in both legislative chambers.
