The 100th South Dakota legislative session will open on Jan. 14 and will run for 38 legislative days. The Center for Rural Affairs will track policies that affect the rural quality of life and intersect with our goal of building vibrant rural communities. Our monitoring will include:
Renewable energy: With wind and solar projects on the rise, we advocate for policies that promote renewable energy development while taking into account the needs and concerns of communities.
Agriculture and conservation: We strive to create and support farm policy that keeps families on the land, protects our soil and water, and creates opportunity for a new generation of farmers.
Economic and community development: We are committed to ensuring that rural communities have every opportunity to thrive. We support policies that help provide small businesses and rural families the tools and services they require for success.
Over the course of the session, we will be sharing biweekly legislative updates. If you know of someone who would like to be added to our legislative newsletter list, please direct them to sign up here.
It’s critical that legislators hear from the people they represent. We encourage you to get involved in the legislative process by communicating with elected officials about the issues you care about. If you don’t know who your legislators are, you can find them at this link.
If you would like some tips on navigating South Dakota’s legislative website or communicating with your legislators, we have a video tutorial here.
Upcoming legislative forums:
- Good Morning Sioux Falls Legislative Preview, Jan. 9, hosted by the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce
- Aberdeen Area Coffees, Jan. 25, Feb. 8, and Feb. 22, hosted by the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce
- Mitchell Area Legislative Coffee, Jan. 31, hosted by the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce
- District 24 Legislative Coffee, Feb. 1, hosted by the Pierre Area Chamber of Commerce
- Rapid City Area Cracker Barrels, Feb. 1, Feb. 15, and March 8, hosted by Elevate Rapid City
We look forward to communicating with you during the legislative session and welcome your input. Feel free to be in touch about issues you feel are important to rural communities. I can be reached at [email protected] or 605.240.0039.
