2022 SD Legislature: Last week was a continuation of D.C. style politics with more interference into the House Committee concerning the Attorney General. As you might have noticed in Sioux Falls, there were electronic billboards attempting to intimidate s

Last week was a continuation of D.C. style politics with more interference into the House Committee concerning the Attorney General. As you might have noticed in Sioux Falls, there were electronic billboards attempting to intimidate several members of the Committee and I was one of those named on the billboards.  Each of the people named on those billboards have been carefully considering the information that has been presented and there has been no final recommendation made to the other House members. Until that is done, I cannot disclose additional details other than what has already been released to the public. That information was made public in our hearings as well as other information that was previously disclosed by the Governor through the Department of Public Safety. Those early releases by the Governor’s office and DPS were unprecedented and were eventually ordered by a judge to be stopped.  

I can tell you that, other than the one Democrat, all of the other four people named on those billboards, including myself, helped the Governor in her campaign in 2018. Since that time each of us have been publicly maligned by the Governor because we simply disagreed on various public policy issues. So, welcome to D.C. politics in South Dakota.  

The following is a statement I released after a request from other local media in regard to the billboards: “Regardless of who is behind the billboards, what you can see is there is a lot of money being spent. My theme these days tends more in the direction of “follow the money” and “follow the thirst for power”.  After eight years of service in Pierre, I can tell you that there are lots of great people who serve in both elected office and as state employees. However, there are some who have political aspirations which know no bounds, and there are some special interest groups who are constantly “at the trough”. South Dakota deserves a Governor who is interested in being IN South Dakota and serving the best interests of the people as opposed to the special interests and special ambitions.” 

Now, back to the actual news of the day. Following the last day of the regular session, I remained in Pierre, as I am one of the five members of the South Dakota Code Commission that oversees the actual compilation and development of the South Dakota Code. That Commission works with our Code Counsel and we ensure that the laws of South Dakota are properly formatted to allow the public to be able to access the written laws. In a year such as we have just experienced, it is a challenge to weave together the laws that were passed in this session along with the ballot measures that were passed. We rely on our legal staff in the Legislative Research Council as well as the fulltime Code Counsel to make sense of the laws that are passed by the public as well as the laws that are passed within the Legislature.

Over the next several weeks there will also be many meetings for various agencies. The following will be meeting soon:

• Game, Fish and Parks: Many variations on rules and regs concerning hunting and fishing along with dates, preference points, camping reservations, quantities, etc.;

• Real Estate Appraiser Certification: Modification of program rules;

• South Dakota Board of Certified Professional Midwives: Modification of rules in regard to medications and emergency treatment;

• South Dakota Division of Insurance (Department of Labor and Regulation): Amend rules to incorporate 2022 Medicare Supplement coverage amounts set by the federal government;

• Department of Transportation: Amend rules concerning certain speed limits in specific locations for purposes of construction, etc.; and

• South Dakota Lottery (Department of Revenue): Amend rules to adopt official game rules that are set and adopted by the Multi-State Lottery Association for the Lotto America game.

These are just some of the things that are taking place this year and more will be announced in the days ahead.  

Stay tuned next week for “Veto Day”.  

Please go to www.sdlegislature.gov to see what else is coming up in state government this year.