Closing the session

The last week of session brought long days on the Senate floor, conference committee reports, and final action on major legislation as we wrapped up this year’s work.
On Monday, we reached the final deadline to consider policy bills from the other chamber. The Senate passed House Bill 1082 and sent it to the Governor’s desk on a 20–14 vote. We also defeated House Bill 1253, an ill-advised property tax proposal that would have been harmful to South Dakota, especially for agriculture.
On Tuesday, we took up Senate bills that had been amended in the House and sent back for approval. That included Senate Bill 106, a bill I cosponsored to support funding for special education.
Wednesday focused on conference committees, which are used when the House and Senate cannot agree on a bill. One of the most significant issues was House Bill 1209, the e-verify bill. The House version was overly restrictive and would have imposed unnecessary regulations on small businesses. Under that proposal, my own father could have faced a $2,000 fine for not verifying that I, his son, am a U.S. citizen and therefore eligible to work on my family’s farm. The Senate added commonsense amendments, but the House refused to accept them. Because of that, there was no workable path forward this session, and the issue will likely return next year.
We also considered Senate Bill 245, another property tax proposal. While the bill included some ideas I support, it also incorporated others I could not. I had previously supported Senate Bill 96, which was originally presented as the primary approach. When that effort ran into challenges in the House, negotiations shifted toward including the framework that became SB 245. I opposed that change and voted against SB245. In my view, SB 245 limits the state’s budgeting flexibility and shifts tax burdens in a way that benefits some while asking others to pay more.
Thursday marked the final day of the main session. We passed the general bill, which sets the state’s budget for the year. We also defeated a last-minute attempt to defund South Dakota Public Broadcasting. SDPB provides an important public service, including full coverage of legislative proceedings, which is critical for transparency.
On a lighter note, Thursday was also my birthday, and I appreciated the opportunity to serve cake and donuts in the Senate lobby.
With one session under my belt, I’m excited to keep building on this work and am running to continue serving District 22.