PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A Senate committee has rejected a resolution that would have required South Dakota government agencies to cut ties with the country’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy group.
The State Affairs Committee voted down legislation Wednesday night that called for state government and law enforcement officials to suspend and avoid communication with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
Republican Sen. Stace Nelson tells the Argus Leader (https://argusne.ws/2lbu1Nt ) he brought the resolution because he was worried about CAIR’s possible connection to terrorist groups and its role in helping refugees resettle in the United States.
Opponents say the resolution was a smoke screen to target Muslims in South Dakota, pointing out that the group doesn’t have a presence in the state and hasn’t influenced refugee placement.
The organization does not have a registered lobbyist in South Dakota.
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Information from: Argus Leader, https://www.argusleader.com
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