๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ Week Three of the legislative session marked a significant milestone as the deadline for bill introductions approaches on Wednesday, February 4. As expected, this has been a busy week, with a substantial number of bills introduced on both the Senate and House sides. Even with current totals, there remains the possibility of up to 315 additional bills if legislators introduce their final three measures before the deadline. Legislative Highlights
Several key pieces of legislation advanced successfully this week:
โข House Bill 1052 cleared committee with unanimous approval and no opponent testimony. The bill transfers Hydro II from Game, Fish and Parks to the Spearfish Canyon Foundation and is scheduled for the consent calendar in the coming week.
โข Senate Bill 97, which I introduced, advanced out of committee with only one dissenting vote. This bill adjusts the allowable growth cap for local governments from 3% to 5%, a compromise from last yearโs Senate Bill 216. That earlier proposal, originating from the Governorโs Office, proved too aggressive. The executive branch expressed support for SB 97 during committee, and we anticipate continued backing as the bill moves forward.
โข The Senate also passed a resolution to place legislative term limits on the ballot, allowing voters to decide the issue directly.
โข House Bill 1044 was signed by the Governor this week, authorizing South Dakotaโs participation in the Rural Health Care Transformation Program. This enables the state to receive federal funding over the coming years to support innovative health care delivery models in rural communities.
This program presents a significant opportunity for rural South Dakota, particularly in expanding access to health care services and transportation. There is strong interest in directing a portion of these funds toward public transit providers to help Medicaid and Medicare patients travel to medical appointments, which may also help reduce long-term Medicaid costs. Looking Ahead
With Week Four aheadโa full five-day legislative weekโthe workload is expected to intensify in both committee meetings and on the Senate floor. This period is critical as we approach crossover day, and maintaining momentum will be essential to keeping legislation on track.
Legislators are now fully engaged, collaborating across chambers and committees to ensure a productive and successful session. District 31 Cracker Barrel
Spearfish on Saturday, February 7 at the The Joy Center 10 AM
![๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ค๐จ๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ โ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ Week Three of the legislative session marked a significant milestone as the deadline for bill int ...]()
