PIERRE, S.D.(KCCR)- A bill to fund a memorial for the approximately 200 South Dakota Sioux Indian “Code Talkers” is deferred by the Senate Appropriations Committee.  House Bill 1248 would funnel 700-thousand dollars for the memorial at Capitol Lake in Pierre.  Senator John Wiik was curious about where the Code Talker memorial would be placed around Capitol Lake.

Haillie Getz with the Bureau of Finance and Management says no solid plan for the memorial is in place now.

Kellen Returns from Scout with the Great Plains Tribal Chairman’s Association tried to answer Wiik’s inquiry.

On Tuesday the bill to fund a memorial was killed by the Senate Appropriations Committee, but the project is far from not happening.  House Bill 1248 had prior testimony leaving only action on the bill.  Senator John Wiik of Big Stone City says such a monument has been an ongoing discussion since 2016.

Senate Appropriators voted six to zero with three excused to table the measure.