Guest Column: Representative Tim Reisch Legislative Report, January 14, 2024

Representative Tim Reisch Legislative Report
January 14, 2024

Happy New Year to the good citizens of District 8! I look forward to serving you in 2024. The ninety-ninth legislative session of the South Dakota Legislature kicked off on January 9th with Governor Noem’s State of the State Address. She began by thanking the veterans in attendance for their service, and then congratulating the SDSU football team on winning their second straight national championship. The governor then highlighted many of the attributes of living in the great State of South Dakota.

On the second day of the session, the Chief Justice of the SD Supreme Court delivered the State of the Judiciary Address. Chief Justice Steven Jensen spoke of both the challenges and accomplishments of our court system. He also highlighted the work that the specialty courts do to divert individuals from penitentiary time and reform their lives.

Because we anticipate a higher number of bills to be introduced this year, committees in both chambers began considering bills on the third legislative day. Unlike the US Congress, our state legislature ensures that every bill filed by one of its members gets a hearing. I will again serve as Chair of the House Military and Veterans Affairs Committee this year. Being named a committee chair as a freshman legislator is a rarity, but my years of military service combined with my experience as county veterans service officer and time in state government have prepared me well for this important role.

I also serve on the House Education Committee. I am passionate about providing as much support as possible to our school districts and state supported universities. Governor Noem has announced a measure (HB 1048) aimed at raising teacher’s salaries. I absolutely support raising teacher’s salaries but the way the bill is currently worded has raised concerns among school administrators. I plan to work closely with District 8 School Superintendents to try to get this right.

I also enjoy serving on the House Judiciary Committee. My experience serving as Miner County Sheriff and as the SD Secretary of Corrections has been useful in weighing the pros and cons of the many bills that come before us. Several bills have already been introduced that increase the penalties for crimes. While it’s often popular to throw the book at criminals, I believe it’s also important to consider evidence-based practices that have been proven to reduce the likelihood that the offender will commit additional offenses upon their release from prison.

I consider it a great honor to serve as your state representative. If you live in District 8, you may leave a message for me while I’m in Pierre by calling 605.773.3851. You can also email me at [email protected].