A bill to create a buffer zone around sacred Bear Butte was killed by a South Dakota legislative committee on Tuesday.

The bill would have established a four-mile zone around Bear Butte where liquor permits would not be sold. The proposal came in response to a proposal to open a bar near the site where tribal members go to pray, hold ceremonies and make offerings.

Supporters said the bill was needed to protect religious rights. But opponents said it would infringe on property rights.

In the end, the House Local Government Committee voted 9-3 to kill the bill.

Get the Story:
House kills Bear Butte bar buffer (The Rapid City Journal 2/1)

Relevant Links:
Defenders of the Black Hills - http://www.defendblackhills.org/defenders

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