2020 SD Legislature: Voting is our civic duty as Americans
By:
Rep. Steve Haugaard, District 10
This week we honored members of the military who have sacrificed for our freedom. I especially appreciate those sacrifices when I think of my grandfather who served in both the Danish Cavalry and the United States Army; my father who served in the Army and fought his way through the Philippines and Japan; and my brother who retired from a full career in the Air Force. Theirs was an honorable way to serve. I regret not having served in the military, but we all have our part to play.
You and I now have an opportunity to contribute to this great state and this great nation. It is that time when all of us can do our part in protecting our Republic. We can VOTE. Many have already voted in the Primary election. For those who have not exercised the Absentee Voting option, I strongly encourage you to 1.) Carefully research the candidates; 2.) Explore the candidates’ voting records; 3.) Ask the opinion of those who know the candidates; and 4.) Call the candidates with your specific questions.
All citizens who are serious about their civic duty are to be applauded for the effort it takes to cast an informed vote and to be vigilant to the way in which our government functions. Our South Dakota Constitution sheds important light on our part in engaging in our government where it states in Article 8, Section 1 that the stability of our very form of government is dependent upon the morality and intelligence of the people. We are called upon to elect the right people to serve in public office. So, everyone who wisely exercises that laudable duty of voting is doing their part to protect our Republic.
This time of year, is also the typical transition to summer. Instead, it has become a time to transition to a new way of enjoying life, planning vacations, attending school, doing business and just generally being back out in public. To that end we need to look for the safest and most inventive ways to make the best of our work and community involvement.
These challenging times have opened doors of opportunity and I believe we will have much to do in modifying the way we live and do business. New opportunities have been presented. To take advantage of those opportunities we will likely need to modify some of our laws and regulations. That can become part of either a Special Legislative Session or a full slate of activity during our next regular session. I invite everyone to let me or any other legislator know of what problems have arisen during these past months or what other activity could be enhanced by changing laws or regulations. Inventive ideas are always welcome.
Please go to the Legislative Research Council’s website to listen to recorded committee and floor debates or the latest information in regard to summer activities and legislative news. That’s found at https://sdlegislature.gov/
As always, please feel free to contact me at steven.haugaard@sdlegislature.gov
