State Representative District 22
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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.
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Cully Williams
(Dem)
What should state government do to support access to affordable housing?
What should state government do to support equitable, quality public education (pre-K through higher ed) for all?
How do you view the initiative and referendum process in South Dakota? Are there any changes to this system that you would support?
Considering recently passed laws, what will you be watching for to ensure all eligible voters have equal access to the ballot box while maintaining the security and integrity of our elections?
What, if anything, should our state government do to support access to affordable, quality childcare?
What do you see as the most important challenges facing our state?
No property tax reductions have been given to renters or landlords, and housing prices are high enough to outright price out first-time homebuyers. As a state, we can do better. I support property tax relief that reaches renters too, not just owner-occupied homes. We should also support workforce housing development in our small towns, where young families want to settle but can't find a place to live.
Teachers do their best work when they're given the resources, respect, and autonomy to do their jobs. South Dakota needs to protect our strong public school system, raise teacher pay so we can keep good educators in our communities, and expand pre-K access statewide. When we invest in our schools and kids, we invest in our future workforce and our small towns.
South Dakota pioneered this process and keeping an ability for the people of South Dakota to directly modify the law is a priority, and this includes the referred law process too. I oppose efforts to make petitioning harder, like requiring signatures from every Senate district, which would shut out grassroots campaigns. The people of South Dakota should always have a path to act when their legislature can't or won't.
Elections work when voters trust the system and have real access to it. I'll be watching to make sure new requirements don't disenfranchise eligible voters, like elderly residents who may struggle to find documentation, or rural voters with difficulty in polling access. Integrity and access aren't opposites. Both matter, and we should evaluate every change by whether it actually improves either one without sacrificing the other.
Childcare is one of the biggest barriers facing working families in our small towns. When parents can't find affordable care, they can't work. When they can't work locally, our communities lose. The state should support childcare workforce development, expand tuition assistance for childcare workers, and partner with rural communities to keep small daycare operations open. This is an economic issue and a rural viability issue, not just a family issue.
Three things keep me up at night. First, rural decline. Our small towns are losing population, businesses, and services, and we need real investment and economic development to reverse it. Second, healthcare access. Too many rural South Dakotans can't see a healthcare provider when they need one. Third, a state government that's stopped listening to regular people. These aren't separate problems. They're connected, and they require leaders who actually show up in places like Redfield and Raymond and Yale, not just Pierre and Sioux Falls.
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