WeeK Ten of The 2019 Legistlative Report
The 94th Legislative session is officially over, with both chambers working through the night and adjourning at 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13th. The session started with a survey of legislator’s priorities. Most everyone agreed that funding our nursing homes needed to be our highest priority. Then the governor... Read more
Week Nine of The 2019 Legislative Report
I look for long days, short fuses, and a frenzied pace during the last three days of Session. We have a lot to get done before Session ends on Wednesday. Major bills heard this week included: Pipeline Riot Bills Construction of the Keystone XL pipeline may begin in SD... Read more
Week Eight of The 2019 Legislative Report
Crossover day came and went. It was our longest day of the year. We debated bills on the House Floor until around 9:30 PM. We’re now on the down-hill slope. Not including veto-day, Session ends next Wednesday, March 13th. I continue to receive hundreds of email each week. I... Read more
Week Seven of The 2019 Legislative Report
We’ve completed the 7th week of session and things are moving full-tilt. Monday was cross-over day. That’s the deadline when all voting must be done on bills in the chamber of origin before they “cross-over” to the other chamber. Those bills that don’t, automatically die. In commemoration, the decades-old... Read more
Week Six of The 2019 Legislative Report
I continue to receive many blessings and feel very honored to serve as your representative in Pierre. I do my best to respond to every District 4 email I receive, even those that chew me out. One of the challenges of being a public servant is that on any... Read more
Week Five of The 2019 Legislative Session
As we transition to the second half of the legislative session, legislators are facing crunch time. This Thursday is the deadline for the Appropriations committee to decide how much they think we will have to spend this year. The revenue estimate will be key to making several major decisions,... Read more
Week Four of The 2019 Legislative Session
Four weeks down and five to go. One of the bills I’ve been working on the past few months, Simon’s law, passed out of committee on a unanimous vote. The bill is named after a little boy who died after his doctor put a do-not-resuscitate order in his medical... Read more
Week Three of The 2019 Legislative Session
Hour of Reflection The third week of session started a day early for me as I headed to the Capitol on Sunday to join Governor Noem, Congressman Johnson, and 400 other South Dakotans to reflect on the 46th anniversary of Roe v Wade and 46 years of abortion on... Read more
Week Two of The 2019 Legislative Session
After two weeks the legislature is heating up. Hot Topics Two national resolutions were introduced this week. The first expressed support to build a wall along the southern border of the US. The second thanked Senators. John Thune and Mike Rounds for supporting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in... Read more
Week One of The 2019 Legislative Session
The first week of the 94th Session of the South Dakota Legislature is now over. I am very grateful to be back and look forward to once again do the people’s work. My roommate during session is my District 4 colleague, Rep. John Mills. Our early mornings have been... Read more