Description: The South Dakota State Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of South Dakota. It is a bicameral legislative body, consisting of the Senate which has 35 members, and the House of Representatives, which has 70 members. The two houses are similar in most respects; the Senate alone holds the right to confirm gubernatorial appointments to certain offices. The Legislature meets at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. It begins its annual session of the second Tuesday of January each year. The legislative session lasts 40 working days in odd-numbered years, and 35 days working days in even numbered years.Term: 4 consecutive 2 year termsSalary: $16,348/year + $178/day for legislators who reside more than 50 miles away from the capitolRequirements for Office: 21 years old; 2 years residency; qualified voter; may not have been convicted of bribery, perjury or other infamous crime; may not have illegally taken "public moneys".Petition Requirements: Depends on party and legislative district. See SD Secretary of State's website for details.
People who work here should be able to live here. That means cutting through the red tape that makes building homes so expensive, and making sure state resources are helping working families not just making the housing market work for investors.
A student anywhere in the state deserve a great teacher, a safe school, and a real future. Right now, where you’re born in this state determines too much about the education you get. That’s not fair, and it’s not good for South Dakota’s future.
I’d focus reforms on protecting and strengthening the process, not restricting it. Better transparency on funding, clearer ballot language. those help voters make informed decisions. What I wouldn’t support is making it harder to get measures on the ballot or easier for the Legislature to undo what voters decide.
For the last 3 years I’ve worked as an election poll worker here in Pennington county. I believe in secure elections and accessible elections and I don’t think you have to choose between them. What I’ll be watching for is whether laws passed in Pierre are solving real problems or creating new ones, like making it harder for a South Dakota trucker or a Native American voter to exercise the same rights as everyone else.
Childcare is infrastructure just like roads and broadband. When parents can’t find or afford childcare, they leave the workforce. Businesses can’t find workers. Communities shrink. South Dakota had a bipartisan task force identify exactly what we need to do, and the governor vetoed it.
Nearly 44% of South Dakota’s population lives in rural communities where access to licensed childcare is even more limited. Families there often rely on informal arrangements that lack any developmental benefits. I would like to see a shared provider network or mobile licensing support.
When someone in South Dakota struggles with a disability, with addiction, with poverty. Our state too often responds with punishment instead of support. We have the highest women’s incarceration rate in the world, and we’re building more prisons instead of more treatment centers. Governor Rhoden, himself acknowledged that 51% of imprisoned women in South Dakota have drug convictions, and more than 90% have substance use disorders. That’s not a crime wave, that’s a treatment crisis being handled by the corrections system.
Meanwhile, AI is coming for decent-paying jobs and we have no plan. I’m running because South Dakota deserves better answers than that.
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