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October Legislative Report Thank you for the opportunity to return to the South Dakota State Senate again in 2023! I am honored and humbled by the support I continue to receive as I travel our district. We have many topics on our agenda this session, from landowner rights to tax relief, from support for our counties and schools, to access to healthcare for our rural residents. Our topics are diverse, but we all agree that our rural South Dakota roots continue to make South Dakota the great state it is! Our last Interim Appropriations meeting...
AUGUST LEGISLATIVE REPORT: Let me start this report by expressing thank you to everyone in South Dakota’s workforce! Our South Dakota hard work and commitment to a job well done, continues to make South Dakota the great state it is! And District 23, with our rural roots, exemplifies the awesome reputation of a high-quality workforce in demand throughout the nation. I hope that everyone had a safe and enjoyable Labor Day celebration! Labor Day also officially marks the end of the summer, the fall season is upon us! As with many years, this s...
6 Legislative Session Wrap-up The 97th State Legislative Session is officially wrapped up! Veto day was March 28, and it resulted in no Governor veto overrides. This year, we had a very high volume of bills, 553 policy bills, and 246 of them passed. The Governor vetoed four of those legislative passed bills. After more analysis and dialogue over the next year, some or all may be back with improved language updates to implement the best policy for the state of South Dakota. Veto day did offer the opportunity to re-visit long term care...
5 Legislative Summer Study concludes As the 2021 legislative session came to a close, I was appointed Chair of the Marijuana Summer Study. We met many times over the summer and learned a lot about marijuana, both its benefits, as well as its concerns. As a reminder, South Dakota voters legalized medical marijuana through an initiated measure, and adult use (recreational) through a constitutional amendment. Constitutional Amendment A is being challenged, and is currently in the Supreme Court awaiting an opinion on the single topic rule. Both...