Details From District 2: Senate, House awaits Governor’s signature

Hello District 2

from the State Capitol!

We’ve reached the halfway point of this year’s legislative session, and it’s been a busy but productive few weeks. Last week was our only five-day work week of the session, and we made the most of it. One of the highlights was welcoming several Brandon residents who traveled to Pierre for Brandon Day at the Legislature. It’s always a pleasure to see familiar faces in committee rooms and to share what we do on behalf of our communities. A special thanks to Tony’s Catering for the delicious dinner. They did a fantastic job! If you haven’t attended Brandon Day before, I’d encourage you to consider joining us next year.

One piece of legislation I was particularly excited about this week was House Bill 1077, which classifies cell-cultured or lab-grown meat as adulterated food, making it illegal to sell in South Dakota. The bill passed the House last week and cleared the Senate this week. It now awaits the Governor’s signature. I introduced a similar bill last year that came just one vote short of reaching the Governor’s desk, so it was especially rewarding to support Representative Auch and see this version advance successfully.

In the Appropriations Committee, we reviewed the January revenue report and were pleased to see that December sales tax collections came in higher than expected. This is welcome news as we head into next week’s revenue-setting discussions, particularly given the tightness of this year’s budget. I was honored to be appointed to the Revenue Setting Committee. 

On Thursday evening, legislators attended the annual Military Ball to honor our servicemen and women. It’s always a joy to celebrate the members of our Armed Forces, and the evening was made even more special by the many legislators’ spouses who joined us at the event in Pierre. We have fun recognizing spouses as they sit overlooking us in the gallery earlier in the day during session. Bringing a little bit of home to the Capitol is refreshing. 

It continues to be a privilege to represent you in Pierre. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions, concerns, or ideas. Continue to follow along with us by reading our weekly updates from your State Capitol.