Tackling the Issues
by Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree
January 20, 2023
MADISON–Growing up in Arlington, my parents signed me up for as many sports as our schedule could handle. I loved the competition and working as a team. Little did I know during my time in youth sports that my parents and coaches were teaching me important life lessons in leadership and teamwork.
As the second week of the Legislative Session comes to an end, I’ve found myself feeling like the captain of a strong team as the Senate’s Republican Majority Leader to help move our state forward as a team. We’re a united group and we’re already hard at work handling the people’s business.
One of the most substantive legislative efforts of the 2022 session has continued into this year. The Workforce Housing Infrastructure Fund was set up to help communities with a long term tool for the infrastructure development needed for new homes. SB 41 will help District 8 tackle their housing inventory needs. This session the Legislature made revisions to open the fund for disbursements to qualifying communities. We are lucky to have so many thriving businesses in our area and throughout the state. But between the resulting demand and the economic impacts of inflation, South Dakota families are in need of affordable housing options. Thank you to the community members throughout District 8 who have advocated for this fund over the past two years.
This week, the Senate also took up several routine bills from the executive branch to make noncontroversial adjustments to state law. Our Appropriations Committee heard from the Department of Social Services on their budget proposal including their plans to implement the voters’ desire to expand Medicaid. We also welcomed Coach Stig and the SDSU football team to the Senate floor to celebrate their national championship.
In the week ahead, watch for my fellow Republicans and I to unveil a legislative package to update and strengthen South Dakota’s election laws. A broad coalition of lawmakers are ready to make sure we have safer and stronger election laws for the 2024 election.
As the session continues, I look forward to hearing from my constituents. If you have an idea, solution or concern for state government to address, I want to hear from you. In the meantime, follow me on social media and watch for more weekly columns as the session moves forward.
We’ll keep tackling the issues important to the state in your South Dakota Senate. We’ll continue to work hard to set up South Dakota for a bright future, and we will work together in your best interest.
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Who’s Casey Crabtree?
Depending on who you talk to, he is a RINO who thinks building things like roads, bridges and sewer lines fall under the description of “critical functions which cannot be properly performed by individuals or private organizations. (preamble of the SDGOP platform.) He also thinks a “jobs environment that will enable our youth and adults to stay in the great State of South Dakota” (SDGOP platform 2.1) includes workforce housing, so that people who find jobs here will also be able to find housing, which is kind of important for people who want to stay here.
The “true conservatives” have him in their sights now, because according to them, he isn’t adhering to the platform.. not that they have bothered to read it, as there is nothing in there promoting homesteading in sod houses, digging latrines and living on dirt roads as essential to the true South Dakota experience.
However, if the self-proclaimed “true conservatives” continue their takeover of the county parties, we can add such a plank, to show opposition to bills like SB 41.