Simplified: South Dakota's 100th legislative session will kick off next week, and Sioux Falls-area lawmakers gathered Thursday morning with business leaders to talk about their priorities and predictions for the 2025 legislative session.
Why it matters
- In recent years, the state has had more budget flexibility thanks to an influx of federal pandemic relief funds. That's gone now, and lawmakers are expecting a tight budget year where every funding request is likely going to mean a cut somewhere else.
- While funding was a consistent topic among the 13 lawmakers who joined the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce's legislative breakfast Thursday, it wasn't the only topic of interest. Lawmakers are also looking at a number of issues that will affect taxpayers, businesses and landowners.
- There's also some perception issues Sioux Falls lawmakers have to overcome. Rep. Greg Jamison said the city is often seen as the "rich uncle," which makes lawmakers from other parts of the state less inclined to support legislation to benefit Sioux Falls, but the city has enough representation to make things happen.
"Sioux Falls has a great chance to sweep the state," Jamison said, calling on the chamber to help organize to get lawmakers and businesses all on the same page about priorities.
What topics are likely to come up this session?
It's worth noting that hundreds of bills are typically filed during the three-month legislative session, so certainly this isn't a comprehensive list. That said, here's a look at what Sioux Falls-area lawmakers are expecting to come up:
Property tax relief
Rep. Tony Venhuizen has filed a bill that would provide some property tax relief for homeowners by raising the state sales tax to 5%. It's essentially shifting some more of the state's revenue to sales tax rather than property taxes, and Venhuizen said it won't have an impact on education funding.
- He added that if passed as proposed, the bill could bring savings as high as $400 per $100,000 in property valuation for homeowners.
Eminent domain/carbon pipelines
Discussion on carbon pipelines and eminent domain are likely to be a big topic this session as the state tries to figure out how to balance property rights with utility infrastructure.
Childcare
A statewide task force dedicated to solving South Dakota's childcare crisis will bring a number of proposals for ways to make childcare more accessible, affordable and high-quality.
- Rep. Erin Healy shared some of these priorities, including creating scholarships for students pursuing early childhood education, more childcare assistance for providers, and ways to reimburse providers based on the true cost of care rather than the market rate.
- Rep. Amber Arlint also noted the challenges of summer care for kids. She's advocating for adjusting driving laws, so, for example, a 15-year-old neighbor could help out in driving kids to swimming lessons without breaking laws limiting the number of passengers in the vehicle.
Cracking down on street racing, kratom
On the public safety front, lawmakers are looking to put a stop to some of the street racing that's been happening in town.
Rep. Brian Mulder also noted a desire to crack down on kratom, a stimulant with opioid-like effects that is currently available in many gas stations and convenience stores across the state.
- Mulder is also coming off of a win last year in limiting synthetic marijuana in the state.
Education
Education is always a hot topic in Pierre because schools account for about half of the state's budget. This year's discussion will include debate on whether state funds should be used to subsidize private schools and home-schooling.
- Sen. Jamie Smith plans to bring bills to address the need for mental health resources in schools, and Rep. Kadyn Wittman will push for free lunches for all South Dakota students.
What happens next?
Session kicks off Tuesday, Jan. 14 with the governor's State of the State address.
Though Gov. Kristi Noem likely won't be around for much of the legislative session per her impending appointment as director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
- It's unclear how her departure will impact the legislature's discussions on her proposed budget – another topic to watch in the coming months.
