By Glen Vilhauer
District 5 State Senator
When I was elected to the Legislature back in November, I told people that “I don’t know what I don’t know.” This past week was a good example of that as the pace definitely picked up compared to the first week, and it left me scrambling to make sure I was where I needed to be when I was needed.

Glen Vilhauer
As a member of the Appropriations Committee working on the budget, I spend most of my time squirreled away on the third floor of the Capitol building when we are not in session on the Senate floor or in our caucus meetings. At times I feel like I’m missing out on some of the hearings and activities going on, but serving on “Approps” is one of the quickest ways to learn the functioning of our government.
As I am writing this (Saturday morning, Jan. 25,) we just received word that Gov. Kristi Noem has been confirmed by the US Senate for the position of the head of the Department of Homeland Security. Almost simultaneously, she sent her letter of resignation to Lt. Gov. Rhoden. Presumably now-Gov. Rhoden will be sworn in and then he will name his successor shortly thereafter. Once the new lieutenant governor is confirmed by our Legislature our new leadership will be in place. As I’ve gotten to know Larry Rhoden, I feel he will be an exceptional successor to Kristi Noem – one who loves South Dakota and everything it stands for.
To date approximately 215 bills have been filed with many more (another 250-300?) on the way in the next few weeks. A few bills of note to readers of this column that I have gotten a lot of feedback on include the following:
- Senate Bill 5 passed unanimously in the Senate and moves on to the House. This will allow counties to be able to collect a fee when serving a notice or summons to recoup some of the administrative costs involved. This was encouraged by our local county law enforcement as this process had been abused in the past with an added burden and cost placed on our law enforcement.
- After numerous failed past attempts, a resolution was passed that would put South Dakota on record as favoring a “Convention of States” with the primary purpose of placing term limits on those serving in Washington. This process, if it ever comes to fruition, will be years in the making, but it makes a statement that we feel it is time to rein in some of what is happening in Washington.
- Legislation is moving through the system which will revise our campaign finance laws to disallow a “loophole” that was being exploited by some candidates and contributors to circumvent annual contribution limits.
- A bill to allow year-around sales and discharge of fireworks was effectively killed in committee.
- House Bill 1065 bill has been introduced that would repeal the requirement for front-seat occupants to wear seatbelts. This is scheduled for a committee hearing next week. There is a serious concern about the potential loss of federal highway fund dollars if this were repealed.
- Senate Bill 51 would require the posting of the 10 Commandments in each classroom of a school district. This passed out of the Senate Education Committee this week on a 4-3 vote and will, most likely, come before the full Senate this week.
- House Bill 1052, which disallows the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines, passed out of committee on a 10-3 vote and will come before the full House.
The governor’s proposed budget continues to get a lot of attention, particularly in the area of proposed budget cuts to South Dakota Public Broadcasting and the State Library along with the proposal to implement school vouchers. The plan for a new state prison also is a hot topic. These are just a few of the areas generating a lot of feedback to me as a member of the Appropriations Committee. Stay tuned – money, or lack thereof – is a huge topic this year.
All said, I look forward to the weeks ahead. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at glen.vilhauer@sdlegislature.gov or 605-868-3239. I’ve made it my policy to respond in some way to every communication I receive. Thank you for allowing me to be of service.