Chamber hosts pre-legislative chit-chat

By: 
Jamie Hult, Staff writer

South Dakota Chamber president David Owen talks about 2018 ballot measures Dec. 20 at a pre-legislative luncheon hosted by the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Jamie Hult/BV Journal

The Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual legislative luncheon Dec. 20.
David Owen, president of the South Dakota Chamber, gave a casual presentation that included recapped results of the 2018 election, ballot measures to watch for in 2020 and future projections for Internet revenue in South Dakota.
Individuals and groups are already gathering signatures for ballot measures they hope to put on the 2020 election in South Dakota. Five have already been filed with the Secretary of State, said Owen, who lobbies for referendums in Pierre that are in the best interests of South Dakota retailers and economic development.
Deadwood has taken up the charge to allow sports betting, and legalization of marijuana will likely crop up on the 2020 ballot, too, Owen said. 
In 2017, he said, 20 ballot measures were submitted, with some duplicates. Of the 20, 12 were authorized, six qualified, and one of the ballot measures was voted on in the June 2018 general election.
Owen also discussed the composition of the state Senate and House of Representatives as South Dakota heads into a new year under Governor-elect Kristi Noem.
Twenty-seven South Dakota senators were re-elected, three crossed over from the House, and four are first-time Senators, including District 10’s Margaret Sutton.
“That’s typical. We usually get half of the senators who want to go back to the dogfight in the House,” Owen said lightly.
In the House, 45 were re-elected, with one who crossed over from the Senate and there will be 21 rookies on the House Floor this session.
Noem will take office Jan. 5.
A significant change now in effect as of Nov. 1, Owen noted, is, “We get to collect revenue from Internet sales. 
“The two big things everyone wants to know are, ‘How much are we going to get?’ and ‘What are we going to do with it?’” he said.
Gov. Daugaard’s recent State of the Budget address, he said, didn’t take remote sales revenue into account.
The total revenue is difficult to estimate, Owen said, but projections are anywhere from $35 million to $52 million.
Those profits haven’t been earmarked yet, but one camp is in favor of viewing the money as revenue the state was owed all along and putting it toward projects the government typically does. 
“We ought to use windfall to reduce taxes,” Owen suggested.
He also expects the push to allow transgender individuals to choose their bathrooms to resurface in Noem’s term.
Noem, he said, “has put herself in a position to invite this issue to return…She views it as a moral issue…I think this may be a loggerhead issue. I’m hoping we’re careful on this.”
Owen expects the issue of concealing and carrying guns to resurface, too, and many more to be filed as petitioners gather signatures in 2019.
“What we do care about is we don’t want the state to tell businesses what they can and cannot do,” he said.
Chamber members are invited to take part in Brandon Day at the Legislature, which is set for Wednesday, Jan. 30, and Business Day at the Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 21. South Dakota Chamber members are invited to join conference calls on Wednesdays and Fridays on legislative issues. For more information, visit https://sdchamber.biz/legislative/

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