Previewing the state legislative session
As we head into the holiday season, the policy team at the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce starts gearing up for the start of the South Dakota Legislative Session. The 100th South Dakota Legislative Session begins on January 14, when the Governor delivers the State of the State address. In the days following, legislators will begin to drop bills and start debating countless issues that impact our state.
Each year, there are typically between 400 and 600 pieces of legislation introduced between the House and Senate. The Chamber’s policy team reviews each piece of legislation and evaluates which bills will have an impact on South Dakota’s business community. While the Chamber cannot predict every single bill or topic that will be addressed during each legislative session, we can speculate on a few topics that will be addressed.
During last summer, the legislature formed a handful of interim committees to continue discussions on issues that came up during the 2024 Legislative Session. One of these committees met to discuss property tax assessment methodology so that members could take a deeper look at how the state assesses and evaluates property, and the methodology used to assess tax on it. We will likely see a few pieces of legislation that look to tweak some aspects of this process.
Another legislative interim committee was focused on both artificial intelligence and regulating internet access to minors. Testimony was given from social media companies and other stakeholders on both issues. We expect to see at least one piece of legislation come from this interim committee that will address internet safety for minors.
One issue that the Chamber plans to address again this year is funding for infrastructure improvements and expansion at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport. Last year, $10 million in grant funds were appropriated to assist airports across South Dakota with infrastructure projects. This year, we will again look to secure funding for these projects to continue to invest in South Dakota’s critical airport infrastructure.
As the session progresses, you can keep up with what the Chamber policy team is working on by checking our Bill Tracker each week. Additionally, at the end of every week you can get a recap of the happenings in the State Capitol by reading the Chamber Advocate email. If there are any pieces of legislation you are interested in or have questions about the Chamber’s stance on issues, please reach out to our policy team!
