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Senate approves bill requiring schools to accept cash for event admissions
Summary
Senate Bill 219, to require acceptance of cash payments for admission to school‑affiliated events, passed the Senate 19–16 after supporters said cashless policies excluded low‑income families and opponents defended local control and logistics.
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Senate passed Senate Bill 219 by a 19–16 vote to require schools to accept cash payments for admission to school‑affiliated events.
Senator Blanc (State Senator), the bill’s sponsor, urged colleagues to support the measure as a fairness issue and described a scenario on the floor in which a parent who only had cash could be denied entry to a child’s performance. Blanc said that denying cash payments disproportionately affects lower‑income families and those who choose not to use digital payment methods and that accepting cash has been the historical practice in schools.
Opponents, including Senator Smith (State Senator) and Senator Wheeler (State Senator), urged deference to local control. Smith said he had served at gates and the local district had processes to accommodate people in need, and warned that a one‑size‑fits‑all state mandate would penalize districts managing logistical or security concerns. Wheeler said local districts should be permitted to handle their own policies and warned against state preemption of a local decision that has been addressed by the district after public outcry.
Supporters noted that multiple states require schools to accept cash for admissions and that the state activities association provides ways to accept both cash and digital payments. After floor debate the Senate approved final passage, 19 yeas to 16 nays; the bill now advances to the House.
