My 2nd Legislative term started earlier this month and the pace seems to pick up each session. The Senate had minimal turnover this year with 24 Senators returning to Pierre. Six of the eleven new members previously served in the House of Representatives and have relationships already built with most legislators; five are completely new legislators. This provides for good stability while still infusing fresh ideas and perspective. The House of Representatives however has 33 new members and will surely have some growing pains.
The average legislator serves on 2.5 committees. In my first term, I served on Senate Judiciary and Senate State Affairs. Senate Judiciary is one of the busiest committees in the entire legislature based on gross bill count; and vets nearly 100 bills each session. It is often a committee that gets deep into the legal weeds; making sure we craft laws that are both practical and just, as well as making sure the written language is constitutional and clear. Senate State Affairs is composed of Senate leadership and hears the “consequential” and “controversial” bills. It is often known as a kill committee, as a fair number of bills sent to this committee are big ticket concepts that aren’t ready for “prime time”. They are often hot button topics, or bills that sound great to the average listener, but have unintended consequences or need more work in crafting the legal language. It’s designed to be a committee of Senate leaders that can judge policy based off what it written and the effect it will have, not based off political pressures. It also serves to rally floor support for good bills that pass the committee and are supported by the Senates leaders.
I retained my position on both committees this term. I will also be on Senate Health and Human Services committee. This committee deals with a wide variety of issues in the health sector; the most controversial of which are abortion bills and medical marijuana related bills. I have a great relationship with a majority of this committee and expect to give our district a strong voice on this committee as well. I was also appointed the Senate Chair of State-Tribal Relations and will co-chair that joint committee with District 1’s Representative Tamara St. John. All 3 of District 1 legislators have seats on this committee and 2 of us hold the top spots. This committee hasn’t produced tangible results in the past and Tamara and I have set a new agenda and schedule to change that.
As the Session progresses, I welcome questions, comments, and concerns to help me serve you better. The best way to reach me is through my Facebook page, SD Senator Michael Rohl or emailing me at [email protected]
Sen. Michael Rohl
Greetings!
The second week of legislative session is coming to an end, and things are starting to get busy! The House Judiciary committee began to hear bills, and many of the bills this week regarded the topics of fairness and rehabilitation within our judicial system. Here are some of the bills I will be supporting:
-HB 1063: When the Chief Justice spoke to us last week, he mentioned assembling a task force to address ways to best prevent young people aged 18-25 from becoming repeat offenders, and to ensure that they have resources they need to not let one offense become a pattern. Our young people are our future, and I am proud to report that this act passed out of committee for a full vote on the house floor. This bill has no opposition in committee.
-HB 1064: This is another task force recommendation from the Chief Justice, which is focused on ensuring every person who is accused of a serious crime has access to competent representation during the legal process, ensuring a fair trial for everyone. Access to representation is a constitutional right, and the bill to assemble this task force passed out of committee Wednesday morning as well. This bill also saw no opposition in committee.
Beyond the work of committees, we had great news and a great visit on the floor of the House Wednesday! The SDSU Jacks came onto the floor of the House, and we congratulated them on their first national championship as a division 1 school! Following that vote, we passed the first tax cut of the year out of the house – an act that will give benefits to private sector employers that participate in the reemployment assistance program. It was a great day on the floor!
Finally, this week in Pierre we welcomed guests to The Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Tourism is a big part of the economy of the state and its been my goal to assist the work of both the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and the State Department of Tourism. I have served as a member of the SDNTA on behalf of Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and am proud of the progress that they have made in a short time. I was invited to SDPBS and the radio show “In The Moment” with Lori Walsh to discuss the work the South Dakota Tribes and the impact of the Dedicated Native American Tourism Marketing Campaign.
As our committee work increases, you may have questions regarding current events in Pierre or on current legislation. If this becomes the case, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. I am always happy to address any questions or concerns you may have.
If you would like to receive updates about the legislature via email, please sign up on my Facebook page, Tamara St John for SD District 1 House.
Have a blessed weekend and stay warm!
Representative St. John
