South Dakota Legislative Update #1: Things Are Moving Fast in Pierre!
I’m checking in again to give you the latest updates from South Dakota’s exciting legislative session. Last week was the deadline for bill introduction so things are moving quickly!
First, we were pleased to be in attendance as Gov. Kristi Noem gave her first budget address. I shared our thoughts on Facebook and I highly recommend watching here.
We commend Gov. Noem for her commitment to not spending money our state doesn’t have and to not raising taxes during her tenure as Governor. Early in her address, she discussed the importance of the sales tax reduction that is currently in law. As you know, this is our top agenda priority for this session. We welcome Gov. Noem’s voice to this conversation and look forward to working with her and legislators to address this tax cut. You can take action to let your legislator know how important this issue is to you here.
Endorse Our Agenda
On the topic of economic opportunity, we are working with legislators to unveil much-needed reforms to our occupational licensing laws, which present unnecessary barriers to opportunity for many South Dakotans. These reforms include measures to reduce barriers for plumbers and physicians, as well as a broader review of our entire licensing system. Of course, occupational licensing reform would help all South Dakotans, providing greater economic opportunity to those who were previously barred from employment.
On deck for this week includes legislation to protect First Amendment rights on our college campuses, along with legislation we’re opposing that would weaken the current sales tax reduction already in law. Stay tuned for updates on those items, and don’t forget to learn more about our agenda here.
Lastly, ICYMI- I highlighted educational freedom during School Choice Week a couple weeks ago. You can watch my video here.
For Freedom,
Don Haggar
State Director
Americans for Prosperity—SD
