Chamber Advocate: Jan. 26, 2024
Week three of the 2024 legislative session concluded Thursday with the deadline for unlimited bills. Next week, each legislator will be limited to introducing three bills. Once the bill introduction deadline passes on February 1, there will be no new bills. As of today, about 400 bills have been introduced, and we expect to hit the 500 mark by the end of next week.
Airport Funding
Going into this session, the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce identified funding for airports as one of our top priorities. This week, SB 144 was introduced. This bill would appropriate $18 million annually over the next five years to fund airport terminal and gate expansion projects for South Dakota airports.
The Sioux Falls Regional Airport is currently in the planning phase to expand their terminal and gate space to accommodate for more flights and an ever-growing number of passengers looking to utilize the regional transportation provided through this facility. You can learn more about their long-term vision in this Chamber News article.
Quantum Computing
This week, SB 45, which would provide funding to establish a quantum computing program within the public university system, had its first hearing before the Senate Education Committee. The Chamber joined a long list of supporters of this initiative, citing the benefits this program will create for our public universities and the students that will benefit from the curriculum. The bill was unopposed and unanimously referred to the Joint Appropriations Committee, where it will stay for a while until the legislature adopts ongoing revenues in a few weeks.
So far this session, the legislature has not taken up many controversial issues. However, with the recent bills introduced, we anticipate landowner rights, eminent domain and childcare issues will drive spirited conversations in the coming weeks.
As always, please let our team know if you have questions on an issue or are interested in a bill that we are not currently tracking.
Watch for the next edition of The Chamber Advocate on February 2, 2024.