It was a big fourth week of session. The Governor’s speech regarding border security received a disproportionate amount of the attention. Right before the speech, I had an opportunity to speak with Gov. Kristi Noem. I told her that I appreciate her bringing attention to this issue. Where I disagree is what we as a state should be doing. Her approach is about states’ rights where we provide aid to Texas. I reminded her that securing the border and immigration are handled by the federal government. The solution is one best dealt with by the federal government, not by us sending another group of our National Guard members to the border and engaging in what I believe is national theater. It was disappointing to hear her approach and I respectfully disagree with how to handle the crisis at the border. To counter her approach, I introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 604. It urged US Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds as well as Congressman Dusty Johnson to work with the Biden Administration on an immigration bill. My resolution failed along party lines. Legislators followed the Governor rather than Thune and Rounds who say they are working toward an agreement with President Joe Biden.
My bill to require the state board of elections to meet every year to review our election laws passed the Senate and is now heading to the House side. Also, after a very lively discussion, my bill to ask South Dakota voters if they want to repeal the state food tax passed out of Senate Taxation and will be on the floor Monday.
I’ve also had several bills fail this week that would have made South Dakota better. That includes allowing candidates to use campaign finance funds to pay for childcare. I think we would be a better legislature if there were more young people serving at the Capitol. One of the obstacles to becoming a lawmaker is access to affordable high-quality childcare. While this is just one barrier for people to become a legislator, this bill would have made it easier for people with children to serve. Another bill that Republicans killed would have raised the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over three years to match what Nebraska did. I hear a lot of talk about workforce in South Dakota. However, we don’t try very hard to fix the issues that will attract and retain young people. This would have been a good step to keep South Dakota competitive. And finally, my bill to remove the death penalty failed by just one vote in Senate Judiciary. That was the most emotional testimony that I have been part of in my eight years in the legislature. I think it is wrong for South Dakota to be taking someone’s life. It is far more expensive to try these cases than it would be to sentence someone to life in prison. We heard deeply painful testimony from the widow of Ron “RJ” Johnson as she spoke about how terrible his murder was at the state penitentiary. But I reminded people that we had the death penalty in place. It failed to save RJ Johnson. Her testimony did emphasize that we need to do a better job at protecting the staff at our prisons. I think that is an argument for why we need a new penitentiary and sufficient numbers of well-paid, welltrained staff to protect themselves and the inmates for whom we are responsible.
Thank you for following what is going on in the South Dakota legislature. If I can be helpful to you, please contact me. Democrats are working to create a South Dakota that works for all of us.