Guest Column: 202Forward: building an even stronger South Dakota in the next legislative session by State Senator Erin Tobin

202Forward: building an even stronger South Dakota in the next legislative session.
by State Senator Erin Tobin

“Every day begins with new possibilities.”

This is one of my favorite quotes from Ronald Regan, especially because it brings about a strong frame of mind as we prepare for the upcoming legislative session. That being said, let me take a moment to update you on where we are now and where we can optimistically go, by continuing our work for the pro-life, pro-business, pro-family, and pro-farmer (and rancher) values that make South Dakota the great state it is.

Looking back to the 2023 session, there is a lot to be proud of.

First and foremost, I am most proud to say all the constituent bills I brought to Pierre were signed into law by Governor Noem. This is a true example of how Government should work for The People who rule.

For the first time in years, we saw the legislature raise reimbursement rates for long term care providers, to 100%. This move, which I expect to continue far into the future, proves South Dakota’s commitment to family and quality of life of our elderly. Also, within healthcare, we clarified and improved the code related to our medical cannabis program, ensuring access for conditions such as PTSD while making sure no one is cheating the system.

Your legislature also made the classroom a priority at all levels of education. I supported legislation to increase the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship, freeze tuition increases at our public universities, and give our teachers a 7% raise.

We also renewed our commitment to fiscal responsibility, which was proven by our ability to make all these investments in our state while leaving a strong fiscal surplus, and delivering the largest tax cut in South Dakota history, putting $100 Million back into the pockets of South Dakotans.

In all areas of policy, last year was an enormous success. But the job is never finished, and I’m still working hard for District 21.

Next year and every year into our future, fighting for the lives of the unborn and the health of mothers will be a front and center issue. My belief on this issue is steady and focused on producing the best outcome for all South Dakota families. We will continue to fight for the lives of the unborn and the mothers that carry them. To do this, we need to clarify the 20-year-old abortion laws to ensure that there is never confusion during any medical crisis and allow families to work through these issues without feeling that their wife, sister, mother, or daughter’s life is less valued.

You can also expect me to remain focused on agriculture. Keeping our South Dakota farms strong means not only supporting farmers but making sure there are opportunities for value-added agricultural products across our state. Property rights are a constitutional given right that were high priority to our founders. Ag and economic development to support our communities, both rely on a healthy balance between industry and individual.

Looking locally, I intent to bring legislation to finally remove the Gregory Pump Storage project from the preferred water projects list. While the effort was unsuccessful last year, I have already been in touch with legislative leadership about this issue, and I am confident that this year we will get the job done.

Lastly, I have approximately the same number of constituent bills that I have been working on for the 2024 session. I am thankful for your trust in me to take on the issues that affect you. I have done and will continue to do my due diligence for The People of District 21.

As we get ready for next year, I want to hear your feedback. As a team, we can continue to keep bringing strong policy that we can all be proud of to support the future generations of District 21 and keep stopping bad policy that would hurt future generations. If we work together, the possibilities are endless.