Week 1 - Session 2026

Welcome back to my legislative column on the activity of the South Dakota Legislature’s House of Representatives.  Each week I hope to convey the weeks’ highlights of activity, schedule, notable bill introductions, hearings, and speeches.  Of course, my challenge is to condense the week into several informative paragraphs describing important legislation and direction.  Hopefully you will find these columns interesting and helpful in understanding the workings of the legislature. 

The first two days of session included speeches from Governor Rhoden on the “State of the State”, Chief Justice Jensen’s “State of the Judiciary”, and the “State of the Tribes” address from President Kathleen Wooden Knife of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.  Governor Rhoden delivered a straightforward message that included his “Strong, Safe, and Free” mantra that is his cornerstone of how he approaches his job of leading South Dakota.  Out of the many issues he spoke to, I particularly took note of three important points in his speech as he sees his vision and suggestions of moving South Dakota forward.  Those three were: his solution to drive owner occupied property taxes down, his thoughts on the next big industry opportunities for South Dakota, and our state’s participation in the rural health care transformation project that is being funded by the federal government. 

Governor Rhoden’s Senate Bill 96 give counties the option to replace their share of property taxes with a half-cent sales tax.  If SB 96 would become law, this sales tax increase / owner occupied property tax cut program could be adopted by County Commissioners of a county and could be referred by the public of that county making it a locally controlled issue.  The Governor presented that the next big industry in South Dakota could be focused on National Security.  Cybersecurity companies, warfare technology companies featuring drone munitions, future businesses supporting the B-21 Bomber deployment at Ellsworth AFB, and food companies contributing to our food security were examples he gave.  Finally, our state’s participation in the federally funded program call “Rural Healthcare Transformation” has the promise of improved healthcare delivery in rural South Dakota.  I attended a presentation on South Dakota’s plan that was accepted by the federal government and the amount of work it took to brainstorm, deliberate, and present a plan that spends these federal funds (189 million dollars) efficiently on improved and sustainable services was very impressive.  Although I think the project has the capacity for improved rural healthcare outcomes, some legislators are not as optimistic and are skeptical of accepting these federal dollars.  More to come on that.

Chief Justice Jensen was very informative as he referenced the courts vision – “Justice for All” as a reminder that the courts exist for everyone regardless their background or circumstance.  He revealed their six strategic pillars that shape the priorities to address evolving challenges and opportunities within the justice system.  They are enhancing access to justice for court users, building public trust and confidence, effective court operations, improving courthouse security, embracing technology, and fostering a strong workforce.  Jensen also is seeking legislative approval for a pilot program they would like to initiate that would provide pretrial services to accused individuals while they await trial.  These services could include supervision to monitor individuals’ compliance with release conditions, help ensure they appear for scheduled court events, and connect these individuals with rehabilitation services prior to conviction. 

President Kathleen Wooden Knife spoke of her desire that increased consultation and collaboration with the Governor and the legislature could make improvements for healthcare, public safety, and foster care for Sioux Nation Tribes.  Wooden Knife also encouraged the state to be conversing with tribes on issues of water rights, water pipelines, and drinking water access in the years ahead. 

The week continued and concluded with many fellow legislators introducing their bills on wide array of issues too numerous to mention.  As of this writing I count 197 pieces of legislation to be considered.  Next week we will have a full schedule of committee meetings that will start hearing these bill offerings as the process starts and continues.  As always, thank you for reading and thank you for the emails and texts I have received regarding the issues that are most important to you.  See you next week. 

– mw