Governor Daugaard’s Weekly Column: Launch of the Boards and Commissions Portal

Launch of the Boards and Commissions Portal
A column by Gov. Dennis Daugaard:

State government should be open and accessible to the people of South Dakota. Throughout my time in office, I have made government transparency a priority. The Governor’s Office has released invitation lists, opened both the Governor’s Mansion and Valhalla to tours, and has made more information available online.

Open government is about more than availability; it is about accessibility. For example, in 2013, we launched the administrative rules website, rules.sd.gov, making it easier for South Dakotans to read and give input on proposed rules. The success of the site taught us that there is a lot of value in putting information in one location.

As Governor, I have the privilege of making appointments to our state boards and commissions. Through serving on more than 100 boards and commissions, over 1,000 South Dakotans generously lend their time and expertise to aid our state. One day as I was having difficulty finding minutes from a state board meeting, I was reminded of the administrative rules website we launched last year. While most of the boards and commissions post their information online, having to visit a number of different agency websites to find those things could be time consuming and inconvenient.

That is why we created a boards and commissions portal at boardsandcommissions.sd.gov to serve as a central hub for this information. At this website South Dakotans will be able to more easily find minutes, public documents, information on members and dates, and agendas for scheduled meetings.

In our state constitution, the South Dakota Bill of Rights states, “All political power is inherent in the people, and all free government is founded on their authority, and is instituted for their equal protection and benefit.”

As South Dakota citizens, you deserve the opportunity to know about and participate in your government.

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