House Report by Scott Moore
Week three was once again a good week in the House of Representatives. We got SB41 across the finish line. This is the $200 million housing bill that was a carryover from 2021. Good debate was held on Monday January 23 both for and against approving the bill. In the end the bill was approved and will allow communities to start their housing projects this spring.
I serve on the Education Committee and bills being assigned to the committee have been slow. This isn’t a bad thing, but I am guessing this will pick up over the next couple weeks. This has allowed the chairman to invite presenters from the Department of Education and Board of Regents to attend committee meetings and help give welcomed information to freshman legislatures.
I like that word “Freshman”. It has been forty-four years since being tagged with that label.
In the Health and Human Services Committee, it has been somewhat busy but not bad. Committee heard HB 1053 which addressed medical cannabis and pregnant women along with mom’s breast feeding. HB 1079 and HCR 6002 both deal with mental health, which is a big item of interest this year and should be. HB 1044 was heard in committee and passed. This bill is to support and fund scholarships for South Dakotans entering the behavioral health field.
The Military and Veterans Affair Committee had some legislation come through committee and full House of Representatives. My seatmate and committee chair, Representative Reisch, asked if I would carry an agency bill, quote “This is an easy one”. It was like a wounded deer surrounded by a pack of coyotes, but thanks to some committee members that helped get HB 1037 passed with 47 Yeas and 22 nays. Was there a lesson learned? Don’t take anything for granted.
I would like to finish with a high-level story of one of the pages I met. When she was three years old, she lived in a third world country. Her mother passed away giving birth to triplets, leaving her with one parent and an older brother. Her dad was a farmer and could not afford food for the kids and was approached by an adoption agency to put the kids up for adoption. Before she got out of the adoption agency they got in trouble for human trafficking because they gave her dad some seeds to plant and other items. She made her way to the Midwest and was adopted only to have her adoptive parents get divorced a few years later. This young lady plans to attend college at Georgetown University to study law. She has an infectious personality and smile and no complaints. My only comment was, “When you complete your education please come back to South Dakota”. She is and would be an asset to any community in the State.
Senate Report by Bryan Breitling
2023 Legislative Session Week Three
It is great for the youth in our state to come to Pierre to see how our state operates. This week, the Leola Senior Government Class came to the Capitol. They sat in on committee hearings, floor debates, and our district legislators met with them to discuss the government process and answer their questions. More schools are coming in the next several weeks. Thanks for developing the leaders of our next generation in South Dakota!
In our third week on the Senate floor, activity is picking up with the more supportive and update bills flowing through both Houses. The highlight bill this week was HB1011, ‘Revise Employer Contribution Rates’. This bill reduces the employer unemployment tax. With South Dakota’s low unemployment over the years, this fund has grown to a reserve of over twenty-three months of funding if contributions ceased. This bill reduces the unemployment tax to save $18M in employer taxes annually and allows the unemployment fund to sustain at a rate that matches the economy. The unfortunate news for the week was the suspension of a Senator until an investigation into the interaction with staff can be examined and concluded. This process will be thorough and professional, yet expedited due to respect for all involved, and so we can complete the State’s business.
In appropriations this week, we heard reports from the Board of Regents (public universities), Board of Technical Education (technical colleges), Department of Education (public schools), and the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR). The largest focus is the support of the 5% inflationary update, tuition freezes at the universities and technical colleges to be more competitive with our neighboring states, and no general fund changes in the DANR budget!
Legislation that I am working on, SB79, Hiddenwood Lake Dam Project, will be heard in Senate Ag committee on Tuesday 1-31-23. SB155, County Jail Revolving Loan and Grant Fund was introduced this week. This is regional jail gap funding legislation for counties and municipalities seeking to build or update their jail, while partnering with neighboring counties for economies of scale. I was on a summer study and was shocked to learn the operations and ages of many of our county jails throughout the state. South Dakota has several county jails that are over one hundred years old and are wholly inadequate for staff and prisoner safety, and outside our societal norms to offer support to improve the rehab and long-term outcomes of these prisoners. Last, the variety of legislation around landowner rights and eminent domain, continues to evolve, as support for various forms of legislation and bills are amended to meet the goals of the constituents.
Our first cracker barrel was this weekend in Aberdeen. District 23 will have at least one cracker barrel each weekend through the end of this year’s legislative session. We look forward to hearing your values, positions and interests in the topics.
As always, I can be reached at bryan.breitling@ sdlegislature.gov. I look forward to continued conversations!
Reader Comments(0)