This will be my last legislative column for the 82nd session.  Our final day, commonly referred to as “veto” day was held last Monday in Pierre.  The majority of the business during session on that day is to deal with the bills the Governor vetoed when they crossed his desk.  In order for that legislation to become law, both houses must override the Governor’s veto by a two thirds vote.  Five bills came before us that day and died by failing to receive the needed votes.  The Governor had a good day.

 

The bills returned to their house of origin first.  The Senate convened to hear SB 183, 95, and 103.  Senate Bill 183 contained provisions for nursery’s and small greenhouses to receive the same exemptions of sales and use tax on fertilizer, seed, and chemicals that agriculture already receives.  This bill passed out of the Senate but failed to receive the needed votes in the House.  I was disappointed to see the legislation go away, as I felt these small businesses in South Dakota should receive the same treatment that all other areas of agriculture receives already.  They take many of the same risks and deal with the same volatility that occurs in the weather and markets.  SB 95 also passed out of the Senate over to the House of Representatives.  Technical school governance has been one of the largest topics for debate this session and I won’t cover it again as I discussed it quite a bit in a previous column.  The bill, which would have formed a new layer of administration and governance, died by a narrow vote.  The final Senate bill was SB 103, which redistricted the appointments to the brand board.  This bill failed by a large margin and the Senate upheld the Governor’s veto. 

 

The House of Representatives heard two bills which originated there.  They were HB 1189, which dealt with requiring booster seats for all children ages 5 to 8 years old and weighing less than 80 lbs, and HB 1131, which transferred money from the state highway fund to the coordinated soil and water conservation program.  Both bills died on the House floor.  I believe all House members recognized the importance and need to fully fund the conservation program, however the Governor vetoed the bill because of concerns he had regarding taking the money from the highway fund.  Construction costs and needs are rising and he views the money as necessary to adequately maintain our roads and highways.  He promised to find an alternative funding source for the conservation fund and both sides reached a compromise.  I voted to uphold the Governor’s veto on this bill as I am a big supporter of our District Conservationists and the work that they do in South Dakota.  It was a “good faith” vote and I believe a win-win situation for both the conservation program and the highway fund.  We will maintain the necessary dollars for our roads and the soil and water conservation program has become a priority of the Governor’s. 

 

When Senate bill’s 95 and 183 reached the House floor after passing the Senate, they failed to garner enough support to become legislation.  All in all, when the day was over, all five of the Governor’s vetoed bills were sustained. 

 

It’s hard to summarize a whole session in one column, but I do want to express to you all how honored I was to represent you in Pierre.  I appreciated the visits, phone calls, emails, and letters.  We did some good work in many areas, and will return next session with a goal of accomplishing even more in education, health care, and property taxes, to name a few.

 

I will serve throughout the year, as elected by my fellow House members, on the Executive Committee and will return often to Pierre to conduct the business of the Legislature.  Some of the duties of this committee include deciding summer study topics, task force appointments, and overseeing department personnel and budgets.  If you have any recommendations or areas of concern that you feel should be addressed by the committee feel free to contact me at rep.noem@state.sd.us or 881-2526.  You can also find a list of events that I will be attending at my website if you would like to catch up with me at one of those.  My website address is www.kristinoem.com.  Have a great summer!