Glen Vilhauer column: South Dakota legislative update


By Glen Vilhauer

District 5 State Senator

The 100th Session of the South Dakota Legislature kicked off January 14. This is Glen Vilhauer. I am the one of the freshmen legislators in Pierre representing District 5 (Watertown and surrounding townships) in the State Senate. I hope to be able to provide a regular update on the highlights of the events taking place in the State Capitol the next couple months. Being new in Pierre, it was a little overwhelming the first few days, but I am excited about the upcoming weeks.

Glen Vilhauer

Heading into a session it is hard to predict what topics will dominate the conversations, but I would like to offer a few thoughts from my perspective:

  • We will soon have a new governor and lt. governor. Gov. Kristi Noem essentially gave her farewell message when she gave her annual State of the State address on January 14. It was an upbeat assessment of South Dakota culminating with her praise for the people of this state. Depending on when the dominoes fall into place with her appointment as the head of the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, she will resign, and Lt. Gov. Rhoden will step up as governor who will then name his recommendation for the lt. governor position. This position currently acts as the president of the Senate and conducts the floor proceedings. The legislature will need to confirm his choice before that position is finalized. Stay tuned, as a lot will be happening in the very near future.
  • The budget and some ancillary bills being introduced that will affect the budget will receive a lot of attention. Gov. Noem introduced her proposed budget early last month, which has generated a lot of discussion concerning some of her recommended cuts as well as some new expenditures. The budget is now in the hands of the legislature. I was named to the Joint Appropriations Committee, which means I am in the very middle of these conversations. We meet every day for long hours when we are not in session on the Senate floor. You will hear much more about the budget before it is finalized in mid-March.
  • Property taxes, property rights, school choice, and prison construction are also among the topics which will be debated as we go through the 400-500 bills that are anticipated to be filed. Our legislature is unique in that every bill that gets filed receives a vetting before the most appropriate committee before it either moves on or is killed.

This is already longer than I hoped it would be, so I will just close with a couple parting comments. It truly is a humbling experience to be serving the people that elected me to this position. I thank you for this opportunity and I promise to work hard, listen to your concerns and represent you to the best of my ability.

Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any thoughts on a matter. My E-mail address is glen.vilhauer@sdlegislature.gov and my phone number is 605-868-3239. Take care!